


Compromise

by sailorspazz



Category: Trigun
Genre: M/M, Romance, Twincest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-05-16
Updated: 2003-01-26
Packaged: 2018-09-08 05:55:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8833009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailorspazz/pseuds/sailorspazz
Summary: After winning their gunfight in the desert, Vash hopes he can change Knives' way of life. But does Knives really want to change? Story contains twincest.





	1. Confusion

Author babble: Well, here I go with another fan-fic. This will be my first Trigun fic, so go easy on me ^_^;; This is set after the end of the anime (read: spoilers!) and focuses on the relationship between Vash and Knives (see "prerequisite" for more on that). When I first thought up the idea for this fic last summer, I thought it would be an angst fic, but knowing how my stories usually end up, it will probably be semi-angsty with bits of comedy and an unbelievably sappy ending (much like what happened to my Gundam Wing fic, "Forever Love" ^_^;;). As usual, I've babbled on too long (and I'm not done yet :P), so I'll just end by saying that if you meet the requirements, enjoy the fic ^_^

Prerequisite: Before reading the fic, you must pass this simple test. First, look at this word: _Yaoi_. Done? OK, now look at this word: _Twincest_. Now, if you were able to look at these two words and not feel offended by them, you have passed the test and may read the fic. If, however, one or both of these words disgusted you or sent you into "Instant Flamer Mode," I implore you to not read any further. Flames are a stupid waste of time, so prove that you actually have a life by not resorting to them. *Phew* OK, as for other warnings, this fic will contain strong sexual content (with a reversible pairing ^o^) in later chapters (I may even venture into the magical land of lemon, if I decide I'm brave enough to try it!), so mature readers only, please. I'm not putting an age requirement, because age is a terribly inaccurate measure of maturity (besides, age warnings never stopped me when I was thirteen and wanted to read hentai fics ^_-). And don't forget, this fic may pre house the seamy side volitation and is made for the extreme priority the good looks, so do not use for the other use, and always drive on roads, not on people.

Disclaimer: These characters belong to Nightow-sensei. If he were to read how they're being portrayed here, he would probably cry ;_;

Chapter completed: 2002.05.16 (Five days before my 19th birthday ^o^)

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Chapter 1: Confusion

"What am I going to do?"

Over the past four days since Vash had brought Knives back with him to the house he shared with Meryl and Milly, he'd lost count of the number of times he'd asked himself that very question. Knives had not stirred once since he'd brought him back, but Vash could sense that he was close enough to regaining consciousness that he would be able to awaken him himself if he tried. Even if Vash did nothing, Knives would still regain consciousness on his own within two or three days. And even though Vash had thought about almost nothing else except what he was going to do with Knives when he finally awoke, he still didn't have an answer to his own question. His mind drifted to the conversation he'd had with Wolfwood the morning of the day the priest had died.

_"What do you plan on doing when you see Knives?"_

_"He stole someone I loved from me."_

_"You want revenge?"_

_"I don't know...I just don't know."_

Wolfwood...it hadn't even been a month since that fateful day. Vash felt tears stinging his eyes. He hated death more than anything else; the death of a close friend had been especially hard on him. And yet, lying on the bed in front of him was the man who had cruelly used that fact to cause him pain and suffering nearly his entire life. Though many would find it hard to believe, Vash understood that Knives was only acting out of his love for him. However, knowing that only made things worse. To know that someone who loved him so much could torture him the way Knives had was devastating. Anyone else probably would have killed Knives as soon as they got the chance, both for revenge and to eliminate the number one threat against the human race. However, when Vash had been standing there at the end of their fight with his gun pointed at Knives' prone form, he suddenly remembered Rem's final words to him. He had only recently realized what she had been trying to say to him, and he wasn't going to betray her words now. As he stood there above him, Vash had realized that he'd been presented with the best opportunity for changing Knives' ways that he'd ever had. Their gunfight had been the result of a 130-year stalemate in a battle of iron wills. Since their mutual stubbornness had gotten them nowhere, they'd had an unspoken agreement that the winner of their fight would gain the upper hand in the struggle resulting from their differing viewpoints. In winning their fight, Vash was now in control of their destiny. He thought that if he brought Knives to live with him among humans, perhaps he would come to realize their good qualities. After all, the only humans Knives had had contact with in the past several years were the Gung-Ho Guns, so Vash could understand if Knives had an even worse opinion of humanity than before. Still, that fact could serve as an advantage to Vash's cause, as if Knives saw the contrast between his minions and normal humans, he just might change his mind about what most people are really like.

So there Vash was, four days later, sitting in a chair next to the bed they now shared, not feeling nearly as confident as he had before. Almost immediately after he brought Knives back with him, doubts had begun to enter his mind. He hadn't slept a wink the first night while he imagined all the ways in which things could go wrong. What if Knives decided their fight didn't mean anything after all? What if he was angry with Vash for shooting him again and lashed out? What if he decided to kill Meryl and Milly in an attempt to break him down completely? He'd continued to ponder different scenarios and the likelihood of each one over the past few days. Unfortunately, the most ideal situation—that of Knives immediately accepting Vash's ways and embracing humanity—also happened to be the most unlikely.

The fact that he couldn't stop thinking about what Knives might do was serving as further motivation to just go ahead and wake him up, as the anxiety he was experiencing was probably worse than anything Knives would actually do. There was also the fact that it just so happened to be their birthday. Even though he'd had so many, Vash still thought of birthdays as a special time, and he didn't think it would be fair to let Knives sleep through the day that marked their completion of 134 years of life. Vash viewed birthdays as a time to start over and look at things in a new way. Though he and Knives were exact opposites in some ways, they were also quite similar in many others, so maybe Knives would share Vash's sentiment and decide that it was time for a change.

Vash had pretty much decided on waking up Knives when other thoughts entered his mind. Meryl and Milly were each working six days a week while Vash stayed home watching over Knives. Although Vash planned on getting a job as soon as Knives got adjusted to the idea of living with humans, until that day the two of them would be spending almost all their time alone together cooped up in the house. That could be a good thing, as it would allow them a lot of time to talk. Then again, it would also allow them a lot of time to argue. Vash sighed. He always hated arguing with Knives, but he knew they would probably find something to fight about within minutes of Knives' awakening. It's just the way things were between them. Vash still had hope that he could change all that. After all, he knew Knives didn't exactly relish in their constant spats, either. Of course, Vash didn't expect things to change right away, as several possible arguments immediately came to mind. First and foremost, of course, would be the argument over the worth of humanity. If things went Vash's way, though, that would someday not be a problem anymore.

There was, however, a completely different major argument that Vash knew would come to a head quickly. He and Knives had had a unique relationship when they were younger. In fact, the two had been lovers for the majority of the time they'd spent traveling around together in the desert. At the time, they hadn't believed they were doing anything wrong; during their time on the SEEDS ship, all they'd heard about incest was that it was dangerous to the health of any offspring that might be produced. Seeing as how they were both male, they hadn't seen any harm in giving in to their urges. Vash was now quite embarrassed about the whole thing, but he knew that Knives almost certainly was not. He was sure that Knives would want to continue having that sort of relationship with him, and it would probably take a huge argument to convince him that they shouldn't be lovers anymore. That was something Vash was definitely _not_ looking forward to. It was almost enough to make him change his mind about waking Knives up that day. But, he reminded himself, he would have to deal with it no matter when Knives woke up, so he might as well get it over with as soon as possible.

Vash placed his hands on Knives' chest and lowered his forehead down so it was touching his twin's. He concentrated and began to weave his way through his brother's unconscious mind. After a couple minutes of searching, he realized what he needed to do and focused his energy, using it to stimulate the part of Knives' mind that would bring him back into consciousness. Several minutes later, he heard a low groan from Knives and stopped his probing. He watched as a pair of light blue eyes opened and gazed back at him. Though most humans would describe Knives' eyes as a chilling ice blue, Vash thought differently because of something Rem had once told them. She said Knives' eyes were crystal blue like the water and Vash's were green like the grass on Earth, as their kind was the representation of the life mankind had had to leave behind. This thought caused Vash to smile softly as he watched Knives fully regain consciousness. "Hello, brother."

Knives opened his mouth to reply, but instead a dry sounding cough came out. Vash dashed out of the room and returned with a glass of water, holding it to Knives' lips. Knives winced with pain as he swallowed, yet still managed to down half the glass before Vash took it away and set it on the table next to the bed. "Vash..." Knives said quietly, taking a glance around the room, "Where are we?" Not that Knives felt it was the most pressing issue to know where he was, but it would still be nice to know what god-forsaken town Vash had dragged him to while he was asleep.

Vash let out a sigh of relief. The fact that Knives hadn't immediately jumped out of bed and threatened to blow up the whole town was something he took as a good sign. "We're in a small town a couple hundred iles from LR. It's more of a village, really. There's not that many people living here." Vash saw a look of disgust appear on Knives' face at the mention of people, but he continued anyway. "We're sharing a house with two insurance girls who've been following me around for a while. They're both at work right now, but they'll be home pretty soon." Vash noticed Knives' face take on an even more unpleasant expression at the prospect of actually sharing a household with humans. Vash tried his best to be understanding of what Knives was going through. "You don't have to meet them tonight, if you don't want to. You can stay in here and they'll only come in to see you when you're ready."

As much as their living situation displeased Knives, he was nevertheless too weak to fight with Vash about it, so he decided to change the subject. "How long have I been out for?"

"Well, it's our birthday today."

"How old are we?"

Vash feigned an injured look, pouting at him. "We're 134, of course. Do you really think I'm so cruel that I'd leave you unconscious for more than a year?"

Knives tried to shrug, causing him to hiss with pain instead. "Well, you were cruel enough to shoot me again."

Vash's face took on a more serious expression again. "I did what I had to to stop you, Knives. I just wanted the fighting to end."

Knives turned his face away from Vash silently, staring at the curtains drawn over the window. Vash knew Knives was one who didn't take losing easily. He thought Knives would try to resist his loss a bit more, but Vash could see a look of defeat on his brother's face. He placed a hand on Knives' shoulder, causing him to turn towards him again. Vash smiled softly at him, the first genuine smile he'd given in a long time. "What's most important now is that we're together again, and we have a chance to start over. I love you, Knives, and I hope we can learn to live peacefully together."

Knives' face softened, giving Vash the warm expression that had been reserved solely for him their entire lifetime. Vash leaned over the bed and hugged him gently, being careful not to aggravate Knives' injuries. That seemed to be the farthest thing from Knives' mind, though, as Vash heard him grunting softly as he struggled to bring his arms up around Vash. Vash was going to tell him not to strain himself, but he knew Knives wouldn't listen. If Knives wanted to hug him, he was damn well going to, no matter how much pain it caused him. Besides, Vash also wanted their embrace to be complete, so he had no real reason to object. Knives finally managed to wrap his arms around Vash, pulling him down closer to the bed in the process. Vash found himself feeling incredibly comfortable lying there in Knives' arms. It reminded him of when they were younger and would fall asleep together after making love. Vash suddenly gasped at the direction his thoughts were headed in. _No, no,_ he thought, _I promised myself we wouldn't do this again..._

"Something wrong?" Knives' soft voice came from beneath him. "You tensed up all of a sudden." Knives began gently stroking his back.

Vash relaxed under his touch and closed his eyes, placing his head on Knives' chest. "No, it's nothing." Vash tried to dash his previous thoughts about Knives from his mind. _We're brothers,_ he reminded himself. _Even though we did some things in the past, I know better now. I shouldn't be getting turned on by this situation_. He was having a hard time convincing himself, though, as lying practically on top of Knives as they embraced was exciting him a lot more than he cared to admit. He could feel Knives' heart beating in unison with his own, a phenomenon that often occurred when they were together that sometimes included breathing and even blinking simultaneously. It was very comforting to Vash, yet at the same time he felt discomforted from his own thoughts. Vash couldn't take it anymore and abruptly pulled out of the embrace.

Knives looked disappointed at the sudden lack of contact. "Vash, what's wrong?" He was unaware of what Vash's internal dilemma was about, but he could definitely sense something was amiss.

"N-nothing's wrong, I swear," Vash said, forcing one of his usual phony grins onto his face. Before Knives could say anything, he changed the subject. "You're probably hungry, aren't you? Let me fix you something to eat." With that, Vash bolted out of the room and didn't stop until he reached the kitchen.

He emptied a can of soup into a pan that he left to simmer on the stove, leaning against the refrigerator with a sigh that came out more like a moan of longing. During his embrace with Knives, tons of memories of how things used to be between them had come flooding back to him. For years he had blocked out the memories of their love making, telling himself it was wrong and they would never do it again, so there was no point in dwelling on it. Now he remembered that sex between the two of them was like the joining of two incomplete beings into one complete entity. Or, rather, the rejoining, as they both believed that they were originally supposed to be one being, but somehow got split into two early in their development. They believed it was one of the reasons they could be so similar and yet complete opposites at the same time. The majority of Plants have a neutral outlook on most aspects of the human world. As Vash and Knives were more human-like than most Plants, though, they were developed with human-like tendencies when it came to emotions. When they split, they ended up having quite a few shared "human" emotional traits, but also maintained a level of neutrality in some respects. However, some of the neutrality got split between them, causing them each to take the polar opposites of a few particular traits, which was why they had so many problems they just couldn't deal with. When they came together physically, however, all animosity between them temporarily disappeared. They became one being in mind, body, and soul. It was impossible for sex to be merely a physical act between them; it was also spiritual and highly emotional. Emotions often ran so high that they would have the mental equivalent of a climax, something they called an "emotional orgasm." There was no such connection when having sex with humans, as Vash had discovered many years ago in a moment of drunkeness. He still remembered the feeling of emptiness he'd experienced and how he'd longed to be with Knives again. His mind had been—and still was—riddled with confusion. No matter how much he wanted to think otherwise, the thought of feeling that completion again was so tempting...

Vash noticed the soup bubbling and quickly removed it from the stove. He decided that no matter how tempting it was to give in to Knives, he couldn't compromise his morals. Vash reentered his and Knives' room with a piping hot bowl of soup. "Soup's on!" he announced cheerfully, retaking his place in the chair next to the bed. He held a steaming spoonful up to Knives' mouth. "Open wide."

Knives complied and took careful sips at each spoonful Vash offered him. When the soup was almost gone, Knives broke the silence. "You lied to me."

Vash fed him more soup. "Hmm?"

Knives swallowed. "Before, when you said nothing was wrong, you were lying."

Ah, another little detail Vash had forgotten about their bond; they were automatically able to tell when the other told a lie. Vash realized his usual "I'm dying inside, but I'll pretend everything's great" routine wouldn't work with Knives. He wanted to tell Knives the decision he'd made about their relationship, but for some reason he just couldn't do it with those piercing blue eyes staring at him.

"I...uh, well..." Luckily for Vash, he heard the front door opening at that moment. "Oh, the insurance ladies are home. I'll go tell them you're awake." He paused before speaking again, asking carefully, "Do you feel up to meeting them tonight?"

"Hell no." Vash was somewhat surprised at the sudden forcefulness in Knives' voice. Perhaps the soup had given him more energy. Or he might just be pissed off because Vash was attempting to keep secrets from him.

"Uhh, okay. I'm probably going to eat dinner with them, too, so I won't be coming back to the room for a couple hours. You'll be all right on your own for a while, right?" Knives nodded as Vash opened the door. "Okay, I'll see you later." Vash closed the door and leaned against it. He was running away again. It was what he did best, it seemed. It was a habit he really wished he could get over. As he walked to the dining room, he decided he would tell Knives his feelings as soon as the subject came up, no matter what.

Vash's mind changed gears as he greeted Meryl and Milly. "Yo, insurance girls!"

"Hi, Mr. Vash," Milly said with a smile. She then turned to Meryl and whispered, "Ready, Senpai?" Meryl nodded. Vash wondered what they were planning.

"Happy birthday!" the two of them yelled together. Milly threw some confetti and Meryl held out a 30-pack of donuts.

Vash became starry-eyed. "Hey, these are my favorite!" He grabbed the box and began nuzzling it. "Wow, there's so many different kinds! Thanks so much! I'll have to share some of these with Knives."

The mood of the room changed dramatically. "Knives? You mean he's awake?" Meryl asked, letting fear creep into her voice unchecked.

"Yeah, I woke him up just a while ago." Vash noticed Meryl's thinly veiled look of horror. "I really don't think he's going to be causing a lot of problems. I'm sure I can change him for the better."

"Can we see him?" Milly asked with a smile, seeming excited at the idea.

"Not tonight. He's, uhhh...not in the mood for visitors. But enough about him, what's for dinner? I'm starving!"

Meryl still wasn't convinced of their safety—or the safety of the human race, for that matter—but she decided not to push the issue any more just yet.

The three of them shared a rather uneventful dinner, made longer by the fact that they had decided to tell their favorite birthday stories, which meant a lot of stories from Milly about her huge family. After a couple hours, they all decided to call it a night.

"G'night, insurance girls! Thanks again for the donuts!" Vash said as he entered his room. He had half-hoped that Knives would already be asleep so he wouldn't have to deal with any potential arguments, but alas, there he was, now in a sitting position, glaring at Vash as he entered the room. "How are you feeling, Knives?"

"The same." Knives still looked rather irritated at the fact Vash had run out earlier just as they were beginning to have a serious conversation.

"Wanna donut?" Vash asked with one hanging out of his mouth. "I'm sure it'll make you feel better."

Knives stared incredulously at his unrefined brother. "No." Vash shrugged, shoved another one in his mouth, and sat down on the bed. "So, why were you lying to me earlier?" Knives asked in an accusatory tone of voice.

Vash swallowed his donut and set the box on the table. "Well, when we were lying in bed earlier, I started thinking about our relationship...about, uh, the things we used to do together, and stuff..."

"And...?"

"And I was just thinking that we shouldn't be doing those things anymore."

"What? Why?" Vash could see Knives' anger building up, as he already had an idea about what the reason was.

"Well, we're brothers, you know? It's just not something brothers are supposed to do together."

"According to who? Humans? Who cares?"

"I do, Knives. Listen, I know you have a low opinion of mankind, but I've chosen to live my life according to them."

Knives wore an exasperated look. "But why? Vash, you are so far above them that their morals should have no bearing on your actions! What reason is there to deny yourself of what is good and natural to you just because some inferior breed decided it was immoral?"

"I-I don't think it's natur-"

"Don't try to lie to me again, Vash. You know damn well that this is in our blood. I don't see why you try to attach human morals to a bond that isn't even human."

Vash felt his voice weakening. "But we were raised like human brothers."

"Only for the first year of our life. I've put all that behind me now and embraced what I really am. You should do the same."

"I've chosen my own way of life, Knives. Why can't you accept that?"

"Why can't you accept what you really are?" There was a long silence between them. Knives grunted as he shifted around so he was sitting directly behind Vash on the bed with his arms wrapped around him.

"Knives..." Vash said softly, "You shouldn't move around so much. Your injuries..."

"I don't care," he whispered. Vash shivered at the sensation of Knives' soft breath on his neck. "All I want is our happiness, Vash. And I know that our love making makes us feel better than anything else possibly could. Do you remember how wonderful it felt?"

Vash closed his eyes, trying to block out those memories but failing miserably. "Yes..."

"Don't you want to feel it again?"

"I don't think we shou—"

"It was a yes or no question, Vash. I'm asking how you feel, not what you think."

Vash sighed. "Okay, yes, I want to, but—"

Knives held a finger to his lips. "No 'buts'. Just go with what you feel inside." Knives moved so he was sitting beside Vash, then gently pushed his brother back until he was lying down. With a pained wince, he rolled over so he was on top of Vash, straddling his hips. Unfortunately for Vash, Knives not only knew that Vash was easily seduced, but he also knew all of the most effective ways to seduce him. Knives had found out in the past that he could get Vash to do almost anything he wanted just by staring deeply into his eyes. He decided to use that method while running his fingers through Vash's spiky blonde locks.

Vash knew he was fighting a losing battle. It was virtually impossible for him to turn back now, even if he truly wanted to. Looking into those eyes, seeing nothing but pure love and adoration, was something he couldn't resist. He felt tears springing to his eyes; whether they were tears of joy or of the defeat of his human side was uncertain. "Oh, Knives..." he whispered, his voice coming out sounding like more of a plead than he'd hoped it would.

Knives felt his smile widen into a grin. Vash was through resisting; he was finally just going to let nature take its course. "Vash," he said softly, bringing his face down so his nose was touching his twin's. "I love you." With that, he kissed him tenderly, their first in 120 years. Vash tried to make the kiss deeper and more passionate, but Knives kept it light and soft, maintaining an extreme intensity behind it.

Vash inadvertently moaned out of desperation during their kiss. It had been so long since they'd last been together, and he didn't want to hold back any longer. He felt something wet drop onto his face and opened his eyes. He was shocked to see tears flowing from Knives' closed eyelids. Knives rarely cried for any reason. Perhaps the full impact of how long they'd been apart had finally hit him. Vash broke their kiss and began gently pecking away at Knives' tears.

Knives simply held Vash closer and began kissing away Vash's own tears. "It's been so long," Knives whispered.

"I know." Vash began sensually licking at Knives' tears, causing him to moan. "But at least we're together now."

Knives suddenly surprised Vash by claiming his lips in a desperate, forceful kiss. Both of them felt like fire was surging through their veins, coupled with an almost unbearable sense of urgency. A hundred and twenty years is a long time to be separated from the one you love most, and the two of them hoped to make up as much time as possible in that one night.

As clothing began to slide off, a stray thought saying that what they were doing was wrong entered Vash's head again. He glanced at Knives. He looked so happy, and Vash knew he probably was wearing the exact same expression. _It's still wrong_ , a voice kept persisting.

But it feels so good...

So good...

So right.

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Author notes: Alright, I'm finally finished with the first chapter! I'm not sure how long this fic will be, as I'm terrible at predicting the lengths of my own fics (One that I thought would be four chapters turned into seven, and another that was supposed to be a one-shot ended up being ten :P). Anyway, I hope this chapter wasn't too bad ^_^;; I'll try to get the next one out as quickly as possible...I picked a really bad time to start this, as I'm taking 17 credits, have finals coming up in a few weeks, will be going on vacation right after school's out, and will probably be working in addition to taking summer classes after that (Well, I'm taking an anime class, so that won't be so bad ^_^). But I'll still try my best not to write as slowly as I usually do...Spazz-chan, ganbarimaaaaasu! I hope you're looking forward to the next chapter (Has anyone even bothered to read this far? :P). Next time: Vash deals with his Knives' lovin' session. Will he regret it, or say, "Hell yeah, this rocks!" Tune in and find out ^_^ And goodbye, for now.


	2. Conflict

Author Ramble: *Dances* You tolerate me! You really tolerate me! Thanks to the people who read and reviewed Chapter one...it made me happy to get such a good response ^o^ Tra la la...*Ahem* I found it interesting that more than one person said they weren't into twincest, but they liked the fic anyway *grins* I'll convert you yet, oh ho ho ^o^ As for specific comments, someone said that Knives was a bit OOC at times, which I can see is true if you compare him to how he acts in the anime. However, in the anime we rarely see how he acts when he's alone with Vash (and when they're adults), which I think is very different from the psycho genocidal Knives we're used to. Vash isn't the only one who can exhibit multiple personalities ^_^ Also, Knives doesn't see his urges for Vash as being something human; rather, he views it as another part of their bond as Plants. And if it seems unrealistic for Knives to whisper sweet nothings in Vash's ear, think of the fact that at that time, he hadn't gotten laid in 120 years...I'm pretty sure he'd be willing to do just about _anything_ to get Vash into the sack at that point ^_^ Anyway, I hope I cleared some stuff up in my lame attempt to cover my own ass. If anyone else sees something that doesn't jibe with them, tell me in your reviews or e-mails and I'll try to address it to your satisfaction (and if the thing that doesn't jibe is the twincest, then you shouldn't be reading this fic. That's your problem, not mine!). Anyway, enough of this stuff...fic-ward, ho!

Disclaimer: *Nightow-sensei appears in the middle of the stage* All characters in this fan-fic belong to me, not the psycho yaoi fan-girl who's writing this stuff...oh, my beautiful characters, why must she disgrace them so? Why, oh why must the fan-girls slash all my babies together pointlessly? Can't they just leave them alone in peace?! *Nightow-sensei is pulled off the stage sobbing* Spazz: Uhh, you heard him...characters not mine.

Chapter completed: 2002.06.15

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Chapter 2: Conflict

Vash awoke with a groan the next day. He felt like every muscle in his body was sore, right down to his prosthetic left arm. Of course, that was to be expected after the wild night he'd spent with Knives.

He rolled onto his back from his previous position of being draped half on top of Knives. Staring up at the ceiling, he let out a sigh. He wasn't really sure what to think about what had happened between the two of them the night before. It had probably been the best night of his life, both emotionally and physically. Much like their first time together, the two of them had had sex all night long. The main difference, of course, was that this time they had known what the hell they were doing.

At first, their love making had been incredibly desperate, as they'd both wanted so badly just to once again feel the sensations that their coming together brought. As the night wore on, though, they slowed down and took time to revel in their most intimate moments. They had both been extremely emotionally unstable at first; there were times when tears would stream down both of their cheeks without either one knowing why. After a while, though, they managed to get fully in tune with each other again and were able to enjoy the feeling of being joined together into one being again after decades of separation. The two of them could achieve emotional orgasms at the moment when they were in absolute perfect union, which had happened countless times that night. Even though the experience was nearly as draining as a physical orgasm, the two of them had continued their love making until the first of the twin suns rose up over the horizon.

Vash hissed with pain as he tried to sit up. If he was hurting this badly, he couldn't even imagine what Knives must have been feeling. Even though pain actually felt good to them while they were having sex, it was just the same as any other pain afterward. It could actually be quite dangerous for them. As a result of physically exerting himself too much, Knives had begun bleeding heavily from his gunshot wounds during their love making. However, he hadn't even noticed because he had felt no discomfort whatsoever. When his bandages became completely soaked with blood, the two of them decided he should rest and let Vash take over being dominant. Vash couldn't help but smirk as he recalled this. Because of Knives' insistence on always being the dominant one when they were younger, Vash had rarely had the chance to be in control of their love making. Now, however, Vash had a feeling things were going to change. Given that Vash had defeated Knives in their battle, Knives really couldn't claim to be completely dominant anymore. Vash grinned to himself and licked his lips. Oh, yes, he had a feeling he was going to very much enjoy living with Knives again.

The part of his mind that had been all but silenced the night before suddenly reared its ugly head again. _This is your brother you're talking about! How can you even think things like that?_ Vash buried his face in his hands. Even though he'd been able to forget about the conflict in his mind when he was with Knives the night before, that didn't mean the problem wasn't still there. There truly was a "human" part of his mind that had developed over the years, and it wasn't like he could just get rid of it now that Knives was back in his life. Or that he even _wanted_ to get rid of it. No one was more important to him than Knives, but that didn't mean everyone else didn't matter at all.

When they had first landed on Gunsmoke, Vash had learned to become content depending only on Knives, as Knives wouldn't allow him to come in contact with any of the humans they crossed. Since they'd been separated, though, Vash had come to depend on humans for companionship. Plants were generally not a very social species, so Vash had needed to develop human social skills (he'd begun to do so on the SEEDS ship, but forgot most of what he knew after spending over a decade alone with Knives). Learning human social skills meant learning human morals, and so the part of his mind that allowed him to be understanding of human beings was the same part that made him feel guilty and awkward about the type of relationship he shared with Knives. He wasn't sure how he could properly explain this problem to Knives, as his brother would surely use it as evidence that humans were hindering their relationship and therefore were even more deserving of being wiped out. He wanted Knives to eventually embrace mankind, and it didn't help that right from the start there were several roadblocks in the way that were directly related to humans.

Vash was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard voices coming from the living room. Judging from the positioning of the shadows in the room, it was about noon, so Meryl and Milly were probably home for lunch. Seeing as how Knives was still asleep, Vash eased himself out of bed and slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Trying not to grimace as he walked, he forced a grin onto his face as he exited the room and headed down the hallway to the living room. "Hello, girls."

"Hi, Mr. Vash," Milly said with a smile as she turned towards him. Her eyes widened a bit as she caught a glimpse at him. "Mr. Vash, are you feeling all right?"

"Huh?" Vash realized that he should have checked himself out in a mirror before coming out to greet the girls, as he probably looked like hell. Instead, he found himself standing in front of the girls with huge bags under his eyes, his hair frizzed out and pointing in every direction, and dried blood on his hands courtesy of Knives' injuries (he knew he also had a fairly large number of hickies on his body, but prayed that his clothes were concealing that fact). "Uhh, I'm fine. I was just up really late last night. Knives and I were...catching up on some things."

Meryl seemed to tense up just at the mention of Knives' name. "Speaking of Knives, are we...going to be meeting him soon?" She was obviously trying to play it strong and confident, but there was still a slight tremor in her voice.

"Uhh, you mean now? Knives isn't really a morning person..."

"It's 12:30 in the afternoon."

"Oh yeah, that's right," Vash said with a laugh. "Well, he's still asleep, and I don't think he'd enjoy being woken up before he's ready." _Especially if he'd have to meet a pair of humans as soon as he gets up_ , Vash added mentally.

Meryl looked relieved. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I decided not to wake you two up this morning while I was preparing to go to work."

Vash nodded, but not only because Knives would have been pissed off if a human had come in to wake him after only a couple hours of sleep; there was also the fact that the two of them had been so exhausted when they finished making love that they hadn't even bothered to do so much as cover themselves with a sheet before they fell asleep. If Meryl had come in and seen them lying naked in bed together, Vash would have had a lot of explaining to do. "So, what's for lunch today?" Vash asked, trying to get his mind off of that particular scenario.

"Let's see...I brought some salmon sandwiches from the restaurant," Meryl said, pulling a small paper sack out from a larger one. "I brought some extra ones, in case Knives wanted any...I guess we can save them for later."

Vash nodded, not wanting to bring up the fact that Knives might not want to eat any food that humans prepared for him. "Yeah, I'm sure he'll be hungry when he wakes up." Vash found himself drooling as he stared at the food. "Of course, I'm hungry now, so I might just have to tell him later, 'sorry, dear brother, you snooze, you lose!'" Vash began scarfing down the sandwiches as Meryl and Milly looked on laughing with sweatdrops on their heads.

About an hour later, Meryl and Milly left to get back to their jobs. Vash decided to go back to his room to see if Knives was awake yet. Sure enough, as soon as he opened the door, he saw his sullen looking twin sitting up in bed. "Good morning, sleepy head."

"Vash, it's well into the afternoon."

Vash sat down on the bed. "Yeah, well, you know what I meant. Did you sleep well?"

Knives took in Vash's appearance. "Apparently a lot better than you did. You look like hell."

"Gee, thanks so much."

Knives smirked. "Was it too much for you?"

Vash felt a blush spread across his face and began twiddling his thumbs. "No, it's not that. I just didn't get as much sleep as usual because we were up so late."

Vash's reaction only brought more questions to Knives' mind. "What are you blushing for? You're acting like we did something wrong."

Vash lowered his head. "Well, Knives, to tell you the truth, I still have...reservations about the kind of relationship we share."

" _Still_? What the hell is wrong with you?!" Knives yelled, looking exasperated. He calmed himself down a bit before speaking again. "Surely after what happened last night you must realize how fulfilling our relationship can be when we just do what's natural to us. Tell me, Vash, why do you want to hinder our happiness?"

"It's not like I'm _choosing_ to feel this way, Knives."

Knives got a disgusted look on his face. "So, the humans have got you so far brainwashed that you believe in their ideals above your own instincts? You're pathetic."

There was a long pause as both silently seethed. Vash knew it was impossible for Knives to understand his dilemma, but he still wished he would at least try to accept the fact the Vash was struggling with his feelings instead of just yelling at him about things he had no control over. It really got his blood boiling when Knives accused him of actually _wanting_ to cause problems between them.

It seems their argument had gotten Knives' blood boiling, too, only in the more literal sense. His bandages were showing some fresh red stains seeping through the encrusted dried blood. Vash sighed. No matter how angry Knives made him, his brother's health was of the utmost importance. "Come on, Knives. Let's get you cleaned up. You're bleeding all over the sheets."

Knives gave Vash a glare that clearly said, 'this isn't over,' but he obliged and let Vash help him to his feet. He gasped and nearly passed out from pain when he stood, but Vash supported him and they started making their way towards the bathroom across the hall from their room. Knives struggled with every movement, trying to rely on his own strength rather than Vash's. However, his injuries coupled with the fact that he hadn't moved much in the last few days were working against him, and he really didn't have all that much energy to use. The result was a painful struggle that left him grunting and whimpering with every step.

Despite all the things Knives had done to him, Vash couldn't stand seeing his brother in so much pain. "Knives, are you sure you don't want me to carry you?"

"I'll be fine," Knives said through gritted teeth, looking up and blinking hard as he tried to hold back tears of pain.

It took them five minutes to reach the bathroom going at Knives' pace. Vash lowered his brother into the bathtub, turned on the water, and began carefully unwrapping his bandages. "Well, your injuries _look_ better, but they're still bleeding a lot. I'd say you'll need to keep wearing bandages for at least another week."

Knives simply nodded as he relaxed in the warm water. Once the tub was filled almost to the top, Vash grabbed a washcloth and soap and began gently bathing Knives. Though Knives would have preferred to do it by himself, he was still drained from just walking to the bathroom, so he didn't protest. The feel of Vash's hands caressing his body was almost enough to make him forget about the argument they'd started... _almost_. "So, Vash, about your little 'problem'..."

Vash looked to the ceiling and threw up his hands. "Knives, can we please just forget about it for now? I really don't feel like talking about this."

"Too bad. I do," Knives said with a defiant glare. "How is it that you're so much under the control of humans that you can't even act on your true feelings without guilt?"

"First of all, this has nothing to do with humans having 'control' over me. It's just that I've spent so much time living among them compared to the time I've spent with you that I'm used to acting the way they do. It's not like I can just forget everything I've learned from them just because you're with me again."

"I'm sure I can make you forget. There must be some kind of surgery I could perform that would block out selected memories, or your 'human side,' as you call it. I mean, if humans can be brain surgeons, it can't be all _that_ hard."

Vash's eyes grew to the same size as the little black cat he often saw around. He knew his brother was crazy, and that he probably was as well, but he'd never heard him suggest something so ludicrous before. "Knives, there is no way I'm letting you perform experimental brain surgery on me!" Vash calmed down and allowed his voice to become softer. "Besides, I don't _want_ to forget. I have several human friends now, and I don't want to lose them."

"So, they're more important to you than I am?" Knives scoffed.

"No, I want to keep my relationships with them, as well as the one I have with you."

Knives laughed humorlessly. "So, after all this time, you still want to save both the spider and the butterfly?" He shook his head in distaste. "I don't get your logic at all, Vash."

Vash looked down. "Well, I don't understand your logic, either, Knives," he said softly.

"I don't know how it can be explained more clearly. In order to save the butterfly—"

"No, I'm not talking about that," Vash interrupted.

When Vash didn't say anything for a while, Knives spoke up curiously. "Then what _are_ you talking about?"

Vash was silent for a few moments longer, then looked up, his eyes gleaming with unfallen tears. "I don't understand why you had to hurt me so much."

Knives looked somewhat confused. "What do you mean?"

Vash took in a deep breath to steady himself. "I don't understand why you felt you needed to make me suffer to get your way. I know you wanted me to realize the pain of human life, but...I just can't imagine how anyone could stand to intentionally cause pain to someone they love. I mean, I would never do that to you...how could you do it to me?" Vash trailed off into quiet sobs as Knives sat stunned into shocked silence. He didn't know what to say to Vash. He desperately wanted to comfort his little brother, but it was difficult to do so when Vash was crying about things that he had done to him.

Vash eventually regained his composure, taking in a final jagged breath and releasing it slowly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

Vash continued bathing Knives, who sat in contemplative silence. Finally, Knives spoke up in a quiet voice. "It's not like I enjoyed hurting you. I was using it as a last resort because you wouldn't listen to reason."

Vash was about to get angry at the fact that Knives was trying to turn it around to be his fault, but he could detect a tinge of guilt in his brother's voice, so he decided to hear him out.

"I never actually wanted to see you in pain, Vash. It was just supposed to be means to an end. I was hoping that when we met again, you would have realized that I was right, and when that happened, you would have understood that the pain was necessary in making you come around."

"So you thought all of my suffering would just magically disappear?" Vash asked, sounding more hostile than he'd intended.

Knives looked down. "That was my hope. But that obviously hasn't happened."

"And it's not going to, Knives. I will never forget the pain you've caused me." Vash's voice took on a more gentle tone. "However, I am willing to forgive you if you can answer me this one question: Do you regret what you did to me?" Vash knew he might be asking too much, as Knives had never once apologized for anything. However, the fact that he'd heard guilt in Knives' voice earlier gave him hope that, even if it was only one time, he could get Knives to admit that he had been in the wrong.

After a long pause, Knives took in a deep breath. "Well, if things had turned out the way I wanted them to, I'm sure this wouldn't be a problem." When he saw Vash giving him a look that said 'stop stalling,' he continued. "But, since it turns out all I did was cause you pain, I..." Knives closed his eyes, taking another deep breath. "I'm...sorry for making you suffer when nothing came out of it in the end."

Vash was slightly shocked at Knives' apology. He'd just been expecting him to say he regretted what he'd done and let the apology be implied, but to Vash's amazement, he'd actually voiced it. Vash grinned as tears of happiness formed in his eyes. "I forgive you, Knives." Vash leaned over the edge of the bathtub and wrapped his arms around Knives. Vash now carried more hope than ever that things were going to work out with Knives. If he could get him to apologize for the first time in his life within a day of his awakening, he could only imagine how much more he could do to help Knives improve. His brother had taken a huge step forward, and Vash was sure that more would follow soon. He believed he was going to have Knives accepting mankind much more quickly than he would have ever imagined possible.

Suddenly, Knives summoned strength from god knows where and pulled a fully clothed Vash down into the tub with him. Vash gasped and was about to scold Knives, but got cut off by a fiery kiss. Vash moaned with delight. He wasn't sure where this sudden showing of affection was coming from, but he had no reason to complain, either, so he kissed Knives back with a passion. It's not like it was all that unusual to them, anyway; during their travels when they were younger, their relationship was always ricocheting between different extremes. They could go from screams of anger to screams of desire in almost no time at all, so it actually made sense for their relationship to continue being that way.

Just as it was getting so intense that Vash could barely stand it anymore, a gentle knock sounded at the door. Vash and Knives both froze. "Mr. Vash? Are you in there?" It was Meryl.

"Uhh, yes I am," Vash said, hurriedly climbing out of the tub and over to the door. "Do you need something?" Vash said as he opened the door and slipped out into the hallway, shutting the door quickly behind him.

"Yes, as a matter of…" Meryl did a double take. "Mr. Vash, you're soaking! And you're getting the floor all wet."

Vash laughed and put his hands on his hips in one of his regular silly poses. "Yeah, I fell into the tub while Knives was taking a bath. I'm so clumsy, da ha ha ha!" He could almost feel Knives rolling his eyes all the way out in the hallway. "I'll clean up the water later. Now, what is it you need?"

Meryl cleared her throat. "I accidentally left my apron here when I came home for lunch, and my boss at the diner won't let me work unless I'm wearing the whole uniform. He says customers won't come into a restaurant where not all the girls are dressed up as cutely as they can be, the old pervert." Meryl clenched her fist. Vash sweatdropped, as he was sure the poor old guy had probably gotten clobbered. "But I do need that job while we're staying in this village, so I need you to help me find it, because I can't remember where I put it."

"Sure, I'll help you." He thought it was unusual for a girl like her to just forget part of her uniform, but he would help her out nonetheless.

Meryl smiled at him. "Thank you."

Vash had noticed that Meryl had been acting different lately. He'd known for a while that she'd had a crush on him—perhaps even before she herself had realized it—and it seemed she was finally starting to accept her growing feelings for him. Unfortunately, Vash couldn't honestly say he felt the same way about her. Sure, there had been times when he'd thought about getting together with her, but he'd ultimately decided that they'd make better friends than lovers. And now that Knives was back in the picture, Meryl didn't really have a ghost of a chance. However, there wasn't really any easy way for Vash to let her know that. After all, it would be pretty awkward for him and embarrassing for her if he just came out of nowhere and said, 'Hey, I know you've got a crush on me, and I'm just gonna tell you right now that it's not gonna work out. So, what's for dinner?' Of course, it's not like the other options were any better, such as him rejecting her if she finally made a move on him, or, even worse, telling her the complete truth: 'Gee, I'd love to try something with you, but I'm sleeping with my brother.' _Oh yeah, that'd go over_ really _well_ , Vash thought sarcastically. He entered the living room and spotted Meryl's apron on the couch. "Found it!"

"Thank you, Mr. Vash. Sorry for troubling you."

"It was no trouble at all. See ya later!" Vash called out as she left. He sighed as he headed back towards the bathroom. The best case scenario would be that Meryl would eventually lose interest in him and he wouldn't have to explain anything. Vash decided to just let things play out, and hopefully a non-embarrassing conclusion would come about naturally.

"Are you done playing with your human?" Knives said icily as Vash reentered the bathroom, obviously no longer in an amorous mood.

"Knives, stop overreacting. She just needed me to help her find something," Vash said, picking up the washcloth again.

"Who's overreacting? She's obviously got it bad for you," Knives said, looking at Vash suspiciously.

"She's allowed to have her feelings. That doesn't mean I have to return them. Now stop acting so jealous."

"Hmph. I have every right to be jealous whenever you're paying attention to humans rather than me."

Vash simply shook his head as he drained the water from the tub. "Come here. Let me dry you off," Vash said, holding a towel. Knives complied as Vash dried him off and began dressing his wounds. "So, how likely is it that you'll be up to meeting the girls tonight?" Vash asked casually.

"Not a chance in hell."

Vash was beginning to notice a pattern concerning Knives' response to that particular question. "You know, you can't put it off forever. One of these days I'm going to force you to meet them whether you like it or not."

Knives smirked. "I'd like to see you try."

Vash finished wrapping up Knives' wounds and began helping him back to the bedroom in silence. He'd been so sure after hearing him apologize that Knives was willing to change, but now all of a sudden he was resisting every suggestion that Vash made. _No, I can't let that discourage me_ , Vash thought to himself. _I can't expect him to change completely overnight. This is going to take some hard work, but we can do it_. They had cleared one hurdle already, Vash reminded himself, but they still had quite a few more to go before the race was complete.

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Author notes: Woo hoo, chapter 2 is in the can! It took me a bit longer than expected...not as long as my usual wait between chapters, but I was hoping I could whip through this fic a lot faster than usual, not just marginally faster. But, alas, I had school, which included a couple major projects and finals within the last couple weeks...OK, that's almost a complete lie :P True, I had projects, but, being the complete procrastinator that I am, I did both of the projects I had the whole term to work on within the last two days of their due dates. And about finals, pah, I barely ever study, so that didn't take much of my time. The _real_ reason for the delay is Dance Dance Revolution. Pathetic, but true :P I got DDR Konamix for my birthday and I absolutely _had_ to play until I unlocked all the songs...and sure enough, a week later I had all 20 hidden songs unlocked and had passed all the songs at the basic level (a couple at the trick level, as well). But that's not all! Within the last week, I've gotten late night cravings for "old skool" DDR (word!). On both Tuesday and Wednesday nights, I was happily listening to some J-pop (apparently, Da Pump and Two-Mix both trigger DDR cravings) when I suddenly thought, "Dude, I need to play "El Ritmo Tropical" and try to beat the expert level!" (I'm not sure who 'dude' refers to, as only I was there...). So there I was, DDRing (is that a word? Oh well :P) at 2:00 a.m. Man, I came so close the first night...I failed within the last few beats :P I did, however, beat "La Senorita" at the expert level, even though it's harder...Umm, OK, I think there was supposed to be a point in here somewhere, but I've forgotten what it was. I'm not obsessed with DDR, dammit! You can't prove anything! *Begins choreographing a DDR dance to the opening theme song from Excel Saga, which has been stuck in my head since YESTERDAY* Sore wa ai ja naaaaai *cough sputter hack*

Whew, OK, I've left the lunacy of the previous paragraph in hopes that I will now write with some semblance of sanity. The reason this part is coming out today is because I'm leaving for a weeklong vacation in Kona, Hawaii tomorrow. Since this part has already been delayed enough (see previous paragraph), I decided to get it out before I left...which, since I'm a procrastinator with everything and not just school projects, means I've spent most of today in front of the computer. As you can see above, doing this tends to...well, bring out my insanity. But fear not! Super Spazz has been subdued ("The hell I have!") and hopefully ("DDR RoXX0rs!") she will not ("Tonzura koite~~~") escape. *The personality formerly and presently known as Super Spazz whacks regular Spazz with a DDR mat* Da ha ha! I am returned! And I will now give you the next episode preview! On the next exciting episode of CoMpRoMiSe: There will be much sweet man lovin'. And the yaoi fan-girls will rejoice. Hurrah! *Runs with scissors* See ya next time! And always forget, me rikey da ranning wisu skizaaaaaas! */insanity*


	3. Control

Author blabber: Hey everyone ^_^ Thanks to all of those who've left feedback. I'm surprised at how overwhelmingly positive it's been (and by saying this, I'm sure I'm jinxing myself to receive massive amounts of flames any day now :P). A few comments before I dive right in: I'm trying my best to keep Knives as in character as possible, but that's quite a difficult task when he's being portrayed in a semi-romantic story. Hopefully, he won't turn out to be a pussy who spouts endless amounts of sappy lines (that's Vash's job ^_^), but please bear with me if something lovey-dovey occasionally slips through. As for other business...remember how in the first chapter I said this would be a reversible pairing fic? (perhaps not, since that was so long ago ^_^;;). Well, in this chapter, you'll finally get to see that in action. That's right, actual sex ^_^ It's not incredibly graphic (though it's the most graphic stuff I've written yet...which really isn't saying much when you consider I've only done mild lime in my other fics) but it's there. Marvel at the wonders of semi-graphic twincest! *Ahem* Anyway, I guess that's it for now. Engore!

Disclaimer: The scene opens with Spazz laughing maniacally while holding a gun to a trembling Nightow-sensei's head as he begins to sign a paper that reads, "I hereby sign over the rights to all Trigun males and their sexualities to the yaoi fan-girls." A group of said fan-girls begins to cheer as his pen touches the paper. Before he can finish signing, however, a certain tall, spiky-haired, pacifist, gunman Plant (gee, any idea who it could be? :P) bursts into the room, knocking Spazz to the floor.

Vash: Love and Peace! Love and Peace! It's not nice to make manga artists sign over the rights to their characters, especially when the manga's not even finished yet!

Fan-girls: Bashu, Bashu! *Swoon, not really listening to Vash*

Knives: *Enters, causing more swooning, causing him to roll his eyes* Vash, you can't talk sense to these idiots. You have to show them who's superior! *Decapitates Spazz with his Angel Arm. Most of the fan-girls run away screaming, others begin swooning even more o_O*

Vash: *Gasp* Knives! How could you?! Didn't I tell you that killing costs you your bedroom privileges? *Quickly covers his mouth, blushing*

Spazz's disembodied head: *Holds up fingers in "V" sign* (Why does a disembodied head have fingers?) Don't worry, I'm not dead. I'm the author and therefore can't die in this fic...Bwa ha ha ha ha!

Nightow: *Approaches Vash* Thank you so much for dealing with the fan-girls. I don't know what I'd do without you! *Hugs Vash*

Spazz's disembodied head: o_O Oh, my...I'd never even thought of the possibility of VashxNightow before...but now...hee hee hee *begins drawing pictures of Vash and Nightow in compromising positions* (Get it? _Compromising_? Ha hee ho, oh, I kill myself...and how is a disembodied head drawing?!)

Nightow *Pedro-esque* Nooooooo~~~~~!

Knives: *Rolls his eyes*

Spazz's disembodied head: *Ahem* Well, since my attempt at getting the rights to Trigun failed, these characters are still not mine...

Chapter completed: 2002.08.01

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Chapter 3: Control

"Vash..." Knives let his twin's name escape his lips as he threw back his head with a soft moan. Vash, detecting a bit of impatience in his brother's voice, brought his lips down to Knives' in an attempt to calm him as he continued his slow thrusts into his brother's body.

It had been nearly a week since Knives' awakening, and the older Plant was still having trouble getting used to the idea of not always being in control. This was especially apparent when the two were in bed together (or whatever other location they ended up having sex in at any given moment). Since Knives was still rather weak due to his injuries, it had usually been Vash who assumed the dominant position when they made love. As far as Knives was concerned, there were both good and bad sides to this arrangement.

On the one hand, Knives found it to be more emotionally satisfying when Vash was on top. He felt it showed Vash's feelings for him more strongly when his brother was the one actually initiating the sex, rather than if he were just sitting back and taking whatever Knives could give him like he had done in the past. He also found that it was easier to achieve emotional orgasm with Vash being dominant. Though they technically didn't even need to be having sex for this phenomenon to occur, it certainly made it a whole lot easier, and they found it happening more often recently than it ever had when they were younger. Knives was sure it had to do with the difference in their styles of love making, Vash being much more focused on emotions than Knives was.

Knives' thoughts were interrupted as he felt the familiar sensation of making the mental connection with Vash that signaled the beginning of an emotional orgasm. After going through several moments of euphoric feelings that he was sure no human could ever experience, Knives continued his musings.

Even though Knives enjoyed the emotional side of their love making, he still had some problems with the physical part. The sensitivity and gentleness expressed by Vash that made their sex so emotionally fulfilling were just plain frustrating when Knives was looking for physical satisfaction. It wasn't that he didn't view the emotional part as being important; rather, he just wanted the sex to be geared more towards physical pleasure after the emotional part had run its course. Knives also wished that for once Vash would give him what he desired from him most: rough sex. Not just mildly rough, but bedsprings squeaking, floorboards creaking, windows rattling rough. Vash never seemed to have any problems being on the receiving end of this arrangement, but when Knives asked him to be the one to initiate it he refused, saying that he didn't want to hurt Knives. Knives thought this was ridiculous, and had since begun trying to scheme up ways to manipulate Vash during sex so he could get him to do what he wanted. He had already found that some methods didn't work; yelling "fuck harder!" at Vash a couple days before had only made him indignant. However, Knives was too stubborn to even consider giving up yet.

As Vash continued at the same pace he'd been going at since they began, Knives trailed kisses up Vash's shoulder and neck, finally stopping at his ear, where he traced the outline with his tongue. "More..." he whispered, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. Vash nodded slightly as he began to thrust a bit more deeply than he had before. Knives considered it a slight improvement, but he still found the pace to be agonizingly slow. He decided to change tactics; if Vash didn't respond very strongly to words, perhaps actions would be a better persuasive tool.

Knives brought his hands up to Vash's face, gazing at him with his "sexual eyes," as Vash had once described his seductive looks. He lowered Vash's face down to his own and kissed him passionately, their tongues intertwining in a playful manner. As this was happening, Knives wrapped his legs securely around Vash's waist, moving his body in time with his brother's thrusts. Eventually, Knives began to gradually increase the speed of his grinding, forcing Vash to move faster in order to keep up with him. After a while, they had finally reached the pace Knives desired. He almost laughed as he felt like he was going through a checklist of things he wanted during sex in his mind. _Deepness: check. Speed: check. Now there's only one more thing..._ Knives had gotten Vash to the stage they were currently in before, but he had yet to figure out how to get Vash to perform the final item on his list: pounding into him as hard as he could. Screaming out for him to do it hadn't worked, and Knives wasn't sure what other method he could use.

Knives felt himself grin as he suddenly got an idea. The more pleasure Knives made Vash feel, the more likely Vash would become distracted and lose control of himself without realizing it...and what better way to excite Vash than to use the fact that pain felt good to them during sex to his advantage? Knives began sensually running his fingers up and down Vash's back. Once Vash became comfortable with that, he slowly added his nails to his strokes. His nails weren't exactly very long or sharp, but he could still inflict some damage if he wanted to. They seemed to be working on Vash, in any case, as Knives noticed he almost immediately began thrusting a bit more forcefully. Knives was enjoying it immensely, but it wasn't quite enough yet. Plus, Vash quickly began to slow down again. He tried scratching Vash's back even harder, but it had little effect this time. Knives became frustrated at the fact that most of his manipulative efforts only garnered him a few brief moments of the pleasure he was so desperately seeking. He realized he was going to need to be more drastic in his methods.

While continuing to dig his nails into Vash's back, Knives clamped his teeth down on Vash's shoulder and bit him. Hard. Vash let out a loud gasp and at first seemed like he wanted to escape from Knives grip. However, the pleasure set in quickly and Vash was soon moaning for more. As Knives continued to nibble and lick at the wound he'd inflicted, Vash began getting pretty rough with him in his passion-filled haze. The final straw seemed to come when Knives stuck his tongue directly into the wound. Another load moan came from Vash, and he began pounding into Knives so hard he could barely stand it. Still, it felt absolutely incredible. He absently registered the bedsprings squeaking and floorboards creaking as he finally achieved physical release. _Well, I can always try for rattling windows next time..._ Knives thought, amused. Moments later, his thoughts became murky as the two of them went over the edge emotionally again. Vash let out a strangled gasp and collapsed on top of Knives.

"Vash, what's wrong?" Knives asked through his panting. When Vash simply moaned in reply, Knives realized what had happened: Vash had gone through both types of orgasms at the same time. More often than not, this occurrence was strong enough to knock the one who experienced it unconscious. However, Vash seemed to be staying awake this time, and Knives tried to help him remain that way by gently rubbing his back and kissing him on the neck. After several minutes, Vash lifted his head and smiled at Knives, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Come on, let's take a shower." Vash got out of bed and helped his brother to his feet. Knives' injuries were almost completely healed, but he was still walking with a limp, though Vash suspected that was due more to their bedroom activities than his brother's gunshot wounds. Vash noticed this particular time that Knives could barely walk at all. He put an arm around his shoulders to assist him. "You know, Knives, you really shouldn't have provoked me so much. I told you before I don't want to hurt you."

"I don't mind this. It's a good kind of pain," Knives said, cringing a bit as he walked. When they reached the bathroom, Knives looked in the mirror and noticed a bright red impression of Vash's grate on his own chest. Meanwhile, Vash was examining the various cuts and scratches Knives had given him during sex.

"Geez, you really outdid yourself this time. Look at all these marks! Now it's gonna be hard to even sleep on my back."

"Well, it felt good when I was doing it, right?" Knives asked, lazily draping his arm around Vash and kissing him on the shoulder.

Vash let out a sigh. "You really should consider the consequences of your actions before you do things, Knives."

Knives narrowed his eyes. He knew Vash was talking about more than just his bedroom antics. "Listen, Vash, I apologized to you already, remember? Don't think you're getting another one out of me."

Vash lowered his head. "I know, but remember, I told you I'll still never forget what you did," he said quietly. Suddenly, he noticed a faint stream of blood trailing down Knives' thighs. "Uhh, Knives? Are you aware that your ass is bleeding?"

"Yes," Knives said very matter-of-factly.

Vash shook his head. "You really should've stopped me before I lost control."

"Ah, but when you lose control is where all the fun lies," Knives said playfully, closing the gap between them. "In any case, if you knew what I was doing, why didn't you try to stop me?"

"Because..." Vash was finding it hard to speak with Knives pressing him against the counter, both of them clearly getting excited again. "Because..."

"Because it felt so good, right?" Knives said, emphasizing his point by poking Vash in the abdomen with his newly formed erection.

"Yeah, it felt good," Vash said softly, the desire in his voice apparent. "But I don't think sex should be about control and manipulation."

"You only think that because you were the one that had the control and didn't need to resort to manipulation." Knives cupped Vash's chin in his hand. "You can't always be in control, Vash. Sometimes you have to either give it up, or have it taken from you by force." With that, Knives leaned in and kissed Vash deeply. The kiss went on for a while as the two allowed their hands to roam each other's bodies, groping at everything they found. After they broke off the kiss panting, Knives looked at Vash, licking his lips. "So, do you want to get fucked right here on the counter, or would you rather move someplace else?"

Vash simply looked at Knives seductively, turned on the shower and stepped inside. He let one of his hands slip out through the curtains, beckoning Knives to enter. Knives complied, allowing Vash draw him into the shower and smother him with another burning kiss. Vash suddenly hissed in pain as the scratches on his back came in contact with the streams of water. "Ouch."

"What's wrong?"

"Well, it stings, you know?"

"Ah, so it stings, huh?" Knives moved around Vash and pressed his body up against his brother's back. "In that case, I'll just have to stay behind you and protect you from the pain." Knives wrapped his arms around Vash from behind and planted kisses on his shoulders, neck and back, finally landing on Vash's lips when his twin turned his head to a position that gave Knives easy access. One of his hands slowly traveled downwards, slightly tickling Vash's stomach and abdomen before finally reaching his erection, which he began to stroke lightly. As he did this, he broke off the kiss with Vash and began licking at the blood that was still dripping from the bite wound he'd given him.

"Knives..." Vash moaned with a sense of urgency. "Please..."

Knives nodded and moved with Vash as the latter slowly lowered himself down to his hands and knees on the shower floor. Knives continued fondling Vash as he carefully entered him from behind, deciding it was best to be gentle after the rough sex they'd just had.

The two of them finished their love making rather quickly under the warm spray of the showerhead. As Knives pulled out of him, Vash turned his head and smiled at him. "I love you," he whispered softly.

Knives helped Vash to his feet. "I love you, too." Despite the tenderness of the moment, Knives couldn't help but feel a little angry as he had noticed something in Vash's eyes that he absolutely hated to see: guilt. Despite the fact that Vash had pretty much stopped complaining about their relationship being immoral and such, he still often sported a guilty look on his face after he and Knives had sex. _Those damn humans. I can't believe they've corrupted him this much._

As Knives exited the shower and began to towel himself off, he remembered something else that drove his mood down even further: he was going to meet the humans they were living with that night. Not by his own choice, of course. Every time Vash asked him about it, he would vehemently refuse. However, Vash finally decided that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. The following day was when Meryl and Milly didn't have to work, he had argued, and he thought it would be a good idea for them to all spend the day together. However, he didn't want Knives to have to deal with too much all at once, so he wanted them to all have dinner together the night before in order to get acquainted. Knives didn't want to think about the fact that in just a couple hours he'd be sitting among humans eating their dirty food while they tried to make idle chatter with him. The very thought of it disgusted him.

When they reached their bedroom again, Vash seemed to know that the drastic change in Knives' mood was most likely due to the fact that he thinking about the meeting with Meryl and Milly. "Knives, I know you really don't want to go through with this, but please, _please_ try to be cooperative. I know you may not realize this now, but someday you'll know that I'm doing this for your own good."

The only reply Vash received was a derisive snort.

Vash sighed. "Anyway, I'd just like to make a few things clear before the girls get home. First of all, no threats. I don't care how much you hate the human race, just don't bring it up tonight. Also, I don't want any violence or explosions or anything like that. And please try to be nice to these girls. I know they both have some...quirks, but it's not a good idea to point out the faults of others. Trust me, I've learned the hard way." Vash rubbed his cheek at the memory of the many times he'd made comments that had earned him slaps from Meryl. "I also wouldn't complain about the food, if I were you. You got all that?"

"Fuck you."

Vash felt himself about to lose his cool. He took a deep breath. _Calm down, Vash, he's just angry at the situation and is taking it out on you. You're just as stubborn as he is, so don't back down_. Feeling more confident after his mental pep-talk, Vash continued. "Anyway, there's also the matter of what you're going to wear tonight." Ever since he'd woken up, Knives hadn't actually gotten dressed once. He didn't really have any reason to, as he'd spent most of his time in bed, and the only times he'd ventured out of their room were when Meryl and Milly weren't home.

"What's wrong with my bodysuit?"

"Well, considering that the sleeves disintegrated when you used your Angel Arms, it's covered in bullet holes and bloodstains, and I had to cut you out of it in order to treat your injuries properly, I'd say it's not exactly in wearable shape."

Knives shrugged. "Fine. I don't care. Just give me whatever you have."

Vash ignored Knives' sulkiness and moved around the room, gathering up a pair of black slacks and a light blue button-up shirt for Knives to wear. "Here, try this. I think the color of the shirt really matches your eyes."

Knives snatched up the clothes, glaring at Vash for his cheerfulness. As Knives was pulling on the pants Vash had given him, he discovered something that caused him to chuckle. Vash looked over curiously. "What is it?"

Knives turned around with a smirk, holding his thumb in the waistband of his slacks. He was able to pull them a good two inches away from his body. "I think you've had a few too many of those human donuts, Vash."

Vash blushed. "Well...well, maybe the problem is that you're just too skinny. I mean, look at you, you've got to only have, like, 3% body fat."

"Actually, it's 4.6%."

Vash rolled his eyes. "Anyway, there's a belt in the top left dresser drawer." As Knives went to retrieve the belt, Vash got an idea. "Hey, maybe we could all go shopping and buy you some of your own clothes tomorrow when we spend the day with the girls." Vash immediately wished he hadn't said that, as it caused Knives to glower at him again. He still had to get used to Knives' bi-polar mood swings. He realized that he was the same way, but that didn't make it any easier to deal with.

"Mr. Vash, we're home!" Milly's cheerful voice rang through the small house as she and Meryl arrived home from work. Meryl followed a bit more timidly. She knew that they were finally meeting Vash's brother, and from what Vash had told her about him, it wasn't exactly something she was looking forward to.

Someone who shared Meryl's sentiments was currently being dragged down the hall by his brother. "Hey there, girls!" Vash called. He pulled Knives to where he was standing by his side. "I'd like you both to meet my brother, Knives."

"Uhh, nice to meet you," Meryl stammered. "For Berna...um, I mean, I'm Meryl Stryfe."

"And I'm Milly Thompson," the tall girl said cheerfully, extending her hand to him. Knives looked at it as if she were offering him the plague.

Vash got a bit of a sweatdrop as Knives began staring down the two insurance girls. "Err, well, now that we've got introductions out of the way, let's get on with dinner, shall we? What did you girls bring home today?"

"Oh, Meryl brought all sorts of things from the restaurant," Milly said, opening one of the bags. "What's your favorite food, Mr. Knives?"

Knives responded by grabbing a plate, opening the nearest bag, and throwing whatever was in it onto his plate. It didn't really matter to him what it was, as he considered anything made by humans to be revolting. Even Milly looked a bit uneasy as the rest of them took their places around the table.

There was an awkward silence for a while before Milly ventured a question to Knives again. "You and Mr. Vash really look alike. Are you twins?" Knives once again replied with silence.

~Is it really so hard for you to say even one word to my friends?~ Knives heard Vash's voice in his head.

~I believe your precious humans have a saying that goes, 'if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all'. If you really want me to, I suppose I could go ahead and tell them how much I despise the existence of their race.~

Vash gave up pestering Knives to speak at that point. He realized that he shouldn't have expected all that much from Knives' first meeting with his friends. Vash felt strongly that Knives would come around eventually, and he needed to support his brother as much as he could until that day came.

The rest of the evening continued in much of the same manner. Milly and occasionally Meryl would ask Knives something, and he would "answer" with either a blank stare, an eye roll, or a glance at Vash, indicating that he should answer the question. He got up abruptly after he finished eating and went back to the room he shared with Vash. Vash stayed to help the girls clean up, apologizing for Knives' aloofness and promising that his brother would eventually get used to the situation. He said goodnight and returned to his bedroom, where Knives was sitting on the bed with his arms crossed.

"Well, that was an excruciating waste of my time."

"Knives, I know this is hard for you. All I'm asking is that you at least try to get along with the people in this house. Can you do that much for me?"

"I make no promises."

Vash sighed and sat down on the bed. "Okay, it's your decision. But just remember that the more you cooperate with me, the more I'll cooperate with your wishes."

Knives looked pensive for a minute, then shook his head. "The one thing I want most is something you can't give me because of your attachment to humans." When Knives saw Vash about to protest, he continued. "And I'm not talking about killing them all off and creating Our Eden."

Vash felt both relieved and puzzled. He'd always thought that was what Knives wanted most. Could it be possible that he'd finally given it up? And if that were true, what was Knives' new wish? "I...don't think I understand."

"I didn't think you would," Knives said quietly. "It doesn't matter. You'll understand soon enough. Now let's just go to bed."

Vash removed his clothes and crawled into bed with Knives. He was uncomfortable with the fact that Knives was not only keeping something from him, but that he said he would understand "soon enough." It sounded like Knives had something planned, and Knives' plans were not usually a good thing in Vash's mind. He was beginning to wonder if Knives had actually changed at all. Maybe his semi-cooperative efforts were just a cover-up for his next big scheme. Knives had proven earlier that he was willing to manipulate him to get what he wanted, and Vash could only hope that the obvious power struggle between them wouldn't go spinning out of his control in the way their intimate relationship was beginning to.

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Author notes: HOO hah! Another chapter finally done! Once again, sorry this took so long, but as usual, I have a convenient list of excuses ^_^ It's everyone's fault but mine! Let's see, I went on vacation right after finishing the last part, then I had school for three weeks (an anime class, and ironically, the class that I enjoyed the most is the one that broke the 4.0 I had going my entire freshman year at college :P And it was broken by a B+, too. Why couldn't the teacher just have given me an A-? They're practically the same thing! OK, done ranting ^_^;;). After that...uhhh...

Knives: You know, why don't you just put all the blame on the correct source, which would be yourself? We all know that you're just a hopeless procrastinator. The only reason this chapter is coming out now is because you're leaving on vacation later today. Oh, and maybe you would have gotten an A in your anime class if you'd spent more time on your final paper, rather than doing it frantically in the three hours before the deadline.

Spazz: Quiet, sexy Plant man! What are you still doing here, anyway?

Knives: I stuck around and used your account to sell those pictures of Vash and Nightow as a doujinshi on eBay. Oh, and I bid on a few things, too. Your feedback is now -45.

Spazz: Gee, "thanks."

Knives: You're "welcome."

Spazz: *Ahem* Well, anyway, a couple things about this chapter...if you've heard the Second Donut CD, I'm sure you noticed my "oh-so-subtle" parody of the "Pierce" skit. Oh, I'm ever so clever...another interesting thing I realized about my writing while in anime class is that it's very shoujo style. As my teacher said about shoujo, not much happens, but you sure as hell know how everyone feels about whatever's not happening ^_^

Knives: Does this fic even _have_ a plot?

Spazz: Uhh...

Knives: I didn't think so, and therefore, I am appointing myself to do the next chapter preview. I'm sure it won't be that hard to guess what happens.

Spazz: Hey!

Knives: In the next chapter of Compromise: Vash and I will fuck for a while, get into an argument about something, and Meryl and Milly will be the stupid bitches that they are. Is that an accurate assessment?

Spazz: Err, well, yeah, pretty much -_-;; Anyway, for all you readers, don't forget to review! Ciao!

Knives: And don't forget, _Knives is your god!_ YoU aRe NoT wOrThY!


	4. Confirmation

Random Ramblin': Yo ^_^ Welcome back to the fun! I'm glad that there are still people who are reading and enjoying my fic-a-doodle (and, yes, it really IS necessary for me to make up stupid random words :P). Anyway, this chapter is presented to you in Spam-o-vision, and now contains 45% of the recommended daily allowance of twincest sex scenes! The new, classic flavor is preferred by four out of five Gung Ho Guns. Warning: Prolonged exposure may result in burning discomfort. For external use only!

Discraimah: I amnot Person to be owning not craim to be ownig unles You are! YOu envy my grait suupaa fantastikku daaaaa!

Chapter completed: 2002.09.17

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Chapter 4: Confirmation

Vash slowly opened his eyes, noting with a bit of surprise that the room was not completely dark due to a bit of light seeping in through the drapes. Was it really morning already? Vash must have fallen asleep as soon as he'd crawled into bed the previous night, which was a rare occurrence for him. Usually, he would lie in bed thinking about things that troubled him, sometimes for hours on end. He'd taken note of the fact that he'd begun sleeping more easily ever since Knives had regained consciousness. Vash originally thought this was due to the fact that the two of them usually wore themselves out with their sexual activities right before they went to sleep. However, they hadn't even done anything the night before, yet Vash still fell asleep quickly. Perhaps just having Knives around was a lot more comforting to him than he'd previously realized. In a world that was forever changing around him, it was consoling to have just that one constant of Knives being by his side. He'd first thought about this possibility way back when he left Knives after shooting him for the first time. Vash had felt devastated by the loss of constant companionship back then. More than once he had considered seeking out Knives and agreeing to do whatever he wanted just so he could be near someone again. Eventually, though, Vash began immersing himself in human culture, and, upon learning how humans viewed the type of relationship he'd shared with Knives, Vash tried to forget all about the years they'd spent together. He became content with the company of humans, but only now that Knives was with him again did he realize just how incomplete he'd felt during their years of separation. He was at the point where he realized he didn't ever want to be separated from Knives again, no matter what his brother did.

Vash propped himself up on one elbow and gazed at his twin's sleeping form. Even though his brother had changed so much since then, Vash still thought Knives looked like the same innocent, vulnerable child he used to be when he slept. Vash smiled. When they were children, he used to wake Knives up by jumping up and down on the bed or tickling him (methods that both often earned him threats of broken bones and knuckle sandwiches). Now that he was more appreciative of the sweetness of the scene before him, he decided he should use a gentler method of awakening his brother. Vash leaned over and gently placed his lips on Knives'. He didn't get any response more than a twitch of Knives' eyebrow, so he tried again, this time kissing Knives for a bit longer. A few seconds in, he heard a noise come from Knives throat, then felt his brother smiling against his lips as he wrapped his arms around Vash's shoulders. Knives opened his eyes as they broke the kiss, smiling softly at Vash. Although Knives had always wished he would, Vash had never woken him up that way before, and he'd enjoyed it more than he'd ever imagined possible. Knives pulled Vash down to his lips again, wanting the feeling to continue. Vash didn't resist and the two of them allowed themselves to lie in each other's arms and become completely lost in the love they felt for each other during that moment. There was nothing sexual about it, they just reveled in the feelings of intimacy created by being so close to each other, both in body and mind. It was one of those moments of total perfection.

Of course, nothing perfect can last forever, as the two of them discovered when they heard a knock at the door. Vash practically jumped out of bed at the interruption. "What is it?" he said, trying not to let his feelings of disappointment color his voice.

"It's me," Milly's voice came through the door. "I wasn't sure if you and Mr. Knives were awake, but I came to tell you that breakfast is almost ready."

"OK, thanks." Vash let out a sigh as he turned around to face Knives again, who, not surprisingly, was now scowling. "Well, I guess we'd better get ready. We've got quite a day ahead of us." Knives snorted disdainfully.

The two entered the dining room several minutes later. "Good morning," Milly greeted them cheerfully. "We've got lots of eggs and bacon and toast, so I hope you're both hungry." Knives wordlessly plopped down in the seat across from Meryl, who shivered after sharing a brief moment of eye contact with him. She didn't trust him as far as she could throw him. As an insurance agent, she had learned to spot people who were likely to cause a lot of damage. She had gotten that feeling when she first met Vash (though she later came to understand that most of the time he wasn't at fault), and she got the same vibe from his brother. Of course, from what Vash had told her, he was more interested in damaging people rather than buildings, which was why she knew she had to be extra careful around him.

Breakfast went pretty much the same as dinner had the night before. Meryl, Milly and Vash had their usual conversations while Knives just sat eating in silence. However, Vash noticed that this time, Knives didn't wolf his meal down in five minutes in order to get away from the table as quickly as possible. He figured Knives must have realized that he'd be spending the entire day with the girls, so he might as well get used to being around them. Vash smiled hopefully. Even though he still had concerns over what Knives had been hinting at the night before, he retained his confidence that things would work out for the better.

"So, what exactly are our plans for the day?" Meryl asked during a lull in the conversation. Ms. Organization needed to know her schedule at the earliest available time, after all.

Vash swallowed a bite of eggs. "Well, I thought it might be a good idea to show Knives around the town. You know, let him see the stores and restaurants, maybe talk to a few people." Vash paused, his voice getting a bit quieter. "Oh, and we also need to get him some new clothes."

"Can't he just wear your clothes?" Meryl asked. "Money's pretty tight right now, and we haven't even bought the groceries yet."

"Vash's clothes are too big for me in the waist." Everyone looked at Knives as he calmly took another bite of his toast. Meryl and Milly looked both surprised at the fact that he had finally spoken and amused at what he had said, while Vash's face lit up in a blush.

"Oh, I see." Meryl paused to do some mental calculations, trying not to snicker. "Well, I suppose we could buy a few things for him. We'll just have to watch our spending in other areas," Meryl said, looking at Vash. He pouted, knowing this meant a donut reduction for him.

As Meryl and Milly began to clear the table, Vash leaned in close to Knives. "So, you've finally decided to speak, dear brother?" he asked, feeling happy that Knives had finally said something, yet a bit peeved at what he had actually said.

~Isn't that what you wanted?~ Knives answered mentally.

Vash rolled his eyes. ~Listen, I'm glad you finally said something, but was it really necessary to embarrass me?~

~All you told me yesterday was to not threaten or insult your humans. As far as I know, insulting you is well within the boundaries.~

~Well, I'd appreciate it if you would try to speak about positive things for the rest of the day. I really want you to be able to get along with the girls, okay?~

~You're not the boss of me. I'll do and say whatever I damn well please.~ With that, Knives got up from the table and went to go sit in the living room.

Vash sighed and entered the kitchen to help Meryl and Milly clean up. As he began washing dishes, Milly turned to him. "I'm so glad your brother is finally opening up to us, Mr. Vash."

Vash looked down into the sink. "Well, I wouldn't exactly say he's opening up just yet. He only said something earlier because...because he..."

"Because he subtly wanted to suggest you should lay off the donuts a bit?" Meryl finished with a sly grin on her face. The girls both looked like they were about to start laughing as Vash's face turned red again.

"Hey, you saw Knives, he's way too skinny! It's not like it's _my_ problem..." Vash noticed both of their shoulders shaking with laughter and threw up his hands in defeat.

Vash entered the living room after he finished helping with the kitchen clean up. He found Knives sitting on the couch. "Well, after the girls finish getting ready, we'll be heading off. Do you think you're ready to deal with a town full of people?"

"Do I have any choice?" Knives muttered through clenched teeth. "I'm being forced to do this against my will so…" Knives abruptly cut off his sentence as Meryl and Milly entered the room, finishing his thought telepathically, ~...whether I'm ready or not doesn't really matter, now does it?~

~Despite how you feel, you'd better behave yourself, got it?~ Knives glared in response to Vash's mental threat, while Vash turned to the girls with a smile. "Ready to go?" Meryl and Milly nodded, heading for the door. Vash had to tug on Knives a bit to move him from the couch. "Come on, Knives, don't be a baby."

Knives raised an eyebrow. "Kind of hypocritical for someone who always has to have his own way to be calling someone else a baby, isn't it?" Vash said nothing as Knives finally began moving under his own power and walked out the door with him.

Knives blinked to adjust his vision as he was hit with the full brightness of the twin suns for the first time in over a week. Meryl and Milly were waiting a few feet from the porch. "What took you guys so long? I thought you were coming out right after us." Meryl asked.

"Knives and I had to have a little...brotherly chat. But everything's fine now, right Knives?" Knives turned his head away from Vash, who sighed. "Anyway, let's get going, shall we?" The foursome began heading towards the market area of the small town. As Meryl and Milly happily chatted together as they walked, Vash was getting nervous at the fact that Knives was noticeably extremely tense. He shot deadly glares at anyone who dared to make eye contact with him.

~Why do all these vermin keep staring at me?~ Knives asked, freezing an old woman in her tracks with the iciness he exuded.

~This is a small town. People are curious whenever they see a newcomer, especially if that newcomer just so happens to look almost exactly like the man they know to be Vash the Stampede.~ Vash took Knives' balled up fist into his own hand. ~Just relax a bit, once they've gotten used to the sight of you, they probably won't stare anymore.~ Knives seemed to calm a bit at the feeling of Vash's hand on his. He released his fist and entwined his fingers with Vash's. Vash gave his hand one final squeeze before letting go. Though the townspeople would get used to seeing Knives around, seeing two nearly identical men holding hands as they walked down the street would invite a whole new round of gawking.

After a short walk, they reached the center of the town. It was an open area surrounded by buildings that housed many different kinds of shops. In the middle were booths that were used as produce stands, confectionary shops, or places where people sold homemade knick-knacks. As it was a day that many people had off, the area was bustling with life as people darted back and forth, shopping for groceries or buying gifts. Others stood around catching up with friends, trying to avoid being hit by the dodge ball several children were throwing around. Vash could practically feel the disgust Knives was teeming with, and gave his brother's hand another reassuring squeeze. He turned to Meryl and Milly. "Since you two know your way around town better than I do, do you know any good places where we can buy Knives some clothes?"

Milly looked deep in thought for a moment, pressing a finger to her lips. "How about Mr. Norman's store? I got my favorite kind of jacket there for a really cheap price."

"Cheap is good," Meryl said as they all followed Milly into one of the buildings surrounding the market area. Every building in town—and most of the buildings on the planet, for that matter—looked pretty similar, being made of the same shade of rickety, old wood. The inside of the store, as one would expect, was lined with racks of clothing, ranging from pajamas to formal wear. Behind the counter was a middle-aged man.

"Hi, Mr. Norman!" Milly said as she waved.

The man at the counter looked up from the receipts he was totaling. "Oh, hello, Ms. Thompson. How are you doing today?"

"Just great, thank you."

"Well, what can I do for you today? Do you need another new jacket?"

"Oh, no, I'm not shopping for myself today. It's a friend who needs some clothes." Milly indicated the two brothers. "I'm sure you've heard about Mr. Vash, and right next to him is his brother, Mr. Knives. He's the one we're shopping for."

"Oh, well, pleased to meet you both." He held out his hand and Vash took it in a firm handshake. When he made the same offer to Knives, Vash jumped in front of him before Knives could do anything.

"Eh heh heh, my brother's a little shy, so I wouldn't do anything to...provoke him."

The man didn't exactly understand how a friendly handshake could be provoking, but he withdrew his hand anyway. This _was_ the brother of Vash the Stampede, after all; there was no telling what kind of trouble he could cause. "Well, anyway, I'm going to need to take your measurements so the clothes will fit properly."

Knives looked horrified. A human... _touching_ him? The very idea made him sick to his stomach, but a warning glance from Vash made him keep his mouth shut.

After a couple minutes of Knives looking like he wanted to die, the storeowner had taken his measurements and told him what sizes he needed to look for. The foursome went around the store, searching high and low for things for Knives to wear. Milly and Meryl picked out quite a few outfits, Vash picked out a few as well, and Knives even picked out a couple for himself. Since sizes can sometimes vary depending on who made them, the shop owner told them, he recommended that Knives try everything on before buying anything. He showed Vash and Knives to a small dressing room in the back of the store, while Meryl and Milly decided to go talk to some friends outside until Knives was ready. Vash stood just outside the dressing room, only moving whenever Knives called him in to see the next outfit.

Vash yawned. Knives had been trying things on for nearly a half an hour, and he was getting bored. All he had been doing was looking in at each new outfit and making short comments such as, "Looks good," or "I don't think that color suits you." Since he didn't really care about what he wore, Knives was going completely by Vash's advice; everything Vash didn't like ended up in a pile on the floor.

~Vash.~

He heard Knives' mental summoning again and peeked in through the curtain. "Looks good," he commented. "Hey, how many more things do you have left to try on, anyway?"

~As a matter of fact, I only have one thing left.~ Vash looked relieved and closed the curtain again. A couple minutes later, he heard Knives' voice in his head again. ~Oh, Vaa-aash.~ The cheerful quality of Knives voice made Vash a bit curious as he moved to open the curtain again. As he neared it, however, he found Knives' hand shooting out and grabbing him, pulling him all the way in.

"What do you think you're doing?! Why did…" Vash found himself unable to finish his own sentence, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping nearly to the floor as he got a good look at Knives.

Before him stood his twin, clad in the tightest black leather pants Vash had ever seen. He wore them with the top button undone, and paired them with a matching open leather vest, the outfit exposing the contours of his lean, muscular body. He finished the ensemble with heavy black boots, a choker necklace, and dark, slick looking sunglasses. He ran a hand through his hair and lowered his shades, looking Vash in the eye. "Do you think this suits me, Vash?" he purred softly.

Vash was still having trouble forming coherent thoughts, let alone capable of speech. He had always thought Knives had a better body than him, and that he had grown into his height better, as well. Where Vash was lanky and awkward, Knives was smooth and graceful. Now he found himself thinking that Knives was just outright sexy as hell. He decided to attempt speech again. "You look...just...uh, wow." So much for coherency.

Even though his brother was unable to put it into words, Knives got Vash's message loud and clear. "I'm glad you like it." He ran a finger down Vash's chest. "Everything I do is to please you."

Vash was beginning to get some very clear signals from Knives, as well, most notably the growing lump in his leather pants. "Knives, no, we shouldn't do this here..."

"Why not?" Knives whispered, pressing his body against Vash's and running his tongue along his neck. "No one's going to come back here."

Vash was tempted to agree with both him and the bulge forming in his own pants, but his mind wouldn't let him. He had principles, dammit! Vash gently pushed Knives away so he was standing at arm's length. He knew he would have to be firm; Knives wasn't one who gave up easily. "Knives, we just can't do this. No way, nuh uh, not gonna happen. Not until cats fly, the planet floods with oceans, and hell freezes over, okay?"

"You're wrong, Vash," Knives whispered, getting close to Vash again and pressing him against the wall with his body. "Not only _can_ we do this, but we're _going_ to." Before Vash could say anything, Knives took his mouth in a tender, passionate kiss. He ran his hands slowly up and down Vash's arms in a sensual manner as he began to grind his hips against his twin's.

Vash knew there was no way out at this point. Once again, he was fully aware of the fact that Knives was trying to seduce and manipulate him, yet his feelings and his body wouldn't allow him to prevent it from happening. "Fuck," he whispered in defeat.

Knives grinned devilishly. "Was that meant to be an expletive or a request?" Vash simply moaned in response, grinding his hips against Knives in kind. Knives' hands traveled down Vash front, stopping at the top of his pants. With a few swift movements, Vash's pants and underwear were on the floor. Knives pulled his own pants down around his knees and sat down on the low stool in the dressing room, indicating for Vash to come sit on his lap. Vash did so, facing towards Knives. Knives took Vash's legs and placed them over his own shoulders. Vash wrapped his arms around Knives neck for support as he felt Knives slowly entering him. As Knives bounced Vash up and down on his lap, the two tried to make as little noise as possible; the squeaking of the stool and the faint sounds of slapping skin may have been loud enough to draw attention to them as it was. They didn't have to worry for too long, though, as Knives came rather quickly due to the excitement of the situation. Knives could see that Vash was still obviously in need of physical release. He stayed seated on the stool and had Vash stand up in front of him, taking his penis into his mouth. Vash let out a gasp, then quickly covered his mouth with his hand. As Knives slickly worked him with his mouth and tongue, Vash clutched Knives hair and tossed his head back, biting his lip to the point where it bled. Finally, Vash released himself into Knives' mouth, and the two of them quickly got dressed again. Knives grinned. "Well, Vash, I guess it must be mighty cold in hell right now."

Vash glared. "I guess you'll find out when you get there." He heard Knives laugh as he left the dressing room to wait for his brother to gather up the clothes he was going to buy. Vash was both angry with himself and angry with Knives. He couldn't believe Knives had made him have sex in a dressing room like some cheap whore. He was uncomfortable with the fact that Knives could seduce him so easily. If he could get Vash to have sex at any time and in any location, he could only imagine what else Knives might be able to make him do.

Knives exited the dressing room and he and Vash headed to the counter. Vash quickly peeked outside to call Meryl and Milly, as they were the ones who were paying. Knives ended up getting a few pairs of pants and a couple of shirts. He didn't buy the leather outfit, as he knew Vash probably wouldn't let him get it because not only could they not afford it, but he was also sure that Vash wouldn't want to explain exactly how they planned on using it to the girls.

As they were leaving the store, Meryl noticed something as she looked at the brothers. "Hey, what happened to your lips?"

"Chapped lips," they answered simultaneously. They looked at each other. They hadn't been sure if Meryl had been referring to Vash's bleeding lips or the fact that Knives was licking the taste of Vash off his mouth.

Meryl sweatdropped a bit. "I see..."

Milly turned around to face the others. "So, what do you guys want to do now?"

"I'm a bit hungry," Vash said, his stomach conveniently growling for emphasis.

"Well, there's a pretty good cafe just a few buildings down," Meryl said, pointing.

"Is that all right with you, Knives?" Vash asked. As there were humans around and he couldn't think of an answer that would embarrass Vash, Knives stayed silent. Vash sighed. "Okay, let's go."

As they walked down the dusty street, Vash and Knives hung behind the girls a bit. ~Why did you do that?~

~Do what?~

~You know damn well what I'm talking about.~

Knives closed his eyes and smirked. ~I felt like having some fun. Plus, I wanted to...confirm something.~

Vash narrowed his eyes. ~What the hell is that supposed to mean?~

~I wonder...~

As they entered the restaurant and sat down with their menus, Vash took a couple deep breaths to tone down his anger. ~Listen, I really wish you would take my feelings into consideration a bit more. Doing what we just did made me feel so cheap and...and...~

~Dirty?~ Knives cooed. It was the word Vash had been thinking of, but Knives was using it in a much more positive light, sending pleasurable shivers all throughout Vash's body.

~Stop that,~ Vash said firmly. ~Don't even think of trying something while we're here in the restaurant, especially with Meryl and Milly here. You're not getting anything until we get back home.~

~If that's the case, I want to go home now.~ A waiter came and took their orders.

~We're not leaving yet. After this, we've still got to go grocery shopping.~

~To hell with that. I've had enough of being around humans today. I'd had enough at the moment we were interrupted this morning. All I want is to go home and stay with you in bed for the rest of the day. Doesn't that sound better than hanging around in public where you don't want me to do anything?~

~No matter how good that sounds, we still have to—~

"Mr. Vash, is something wrong? You've been awfully quiet. And aren't you going to eat your food?" Milly asked, interrupting the telepathic conversation she didn't know was occurring. Vash had been so engrossed in his conversation with Knives that he hadn't even noticed the food arriving.

"Oh, I'm fine. I was just...thinking about things, that's all." Milly shrugged and went back to talking with Meryl.

~That's the second time today she's interrupted us, which is all the more reason we should get home before they do so we'll have some time alone.~

~Knives, we're staying. That's final.~ Vash took a bite of his sandwich, hoping the conversation would end there.

~We'll see about that,~ Knives retorted in that mischievous manner that made Vash nervous.

After a couple minutes of Knives not doing anything, Vash became comfortable, chatting merrily with the girls and enjoying his lunch. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he found himself thinking about having sex with Knives. No matter how hard he tried to get the images out of his head, he found he could think of nothing else. He quickly realized what was happening: Knives was attempting to have telepathic sex with him. He looked over to his brother, who was not-so-innocently sucking on a straw. ~Knives, knock it off.~

~Oh, but this is so much fun, dear brother. I can't help but wonder how long you'll be able to hold out.~ Knives traded the straw in his mouth for a hot dog.

Vash peeled his eyes away from that erotic sight and looked back to Meryl and Milly. It was hard to keep his mind on the conversation, though, as Knives had now added audio to the sexual picture show he was transmitting. Vash shifted uncomfortably in his chair as he found himself becoming more and more aroused by Knives' antics. Finally, he just couldn't take it anymore. ~Bastard,~ he said to Knives, before turning to the girls with an apologetic smile. "You know, maybe there's something wrong with the food, because I suddenly don't feel so good. I'm sorry to leave you two to do all the grocery shopping, but I really think it's best if I go home right now."

Meryl put a hand on Vash's arm, looking concerned. "Are you going to be all right? Do you need someone to walk back with you?"

"Knives will make sure I get home in one piece. Once again, I'm really sorry."

"Well, what's most important is for you to get better. Be careful, Vash..."

"I will. See you later."

As the two left the restaurant, Knives shook his head in amusement. ~That short one's really got it bad for you. She was just itching for you to ask her to walk home with you. And did you notice how she didn't even use an honorific with your name? Showing such disrespect to a superior being just demonstrates how much she wishes you were on the same level with her. Stupid human...~

"I would appreciate it if you didn't make a mockery of my friends' feelings," Vash ground out, angry, yet still undeniably aroused. "Really, do other people's feelings mean anything to you?"

~Do my feelings mean anything to you? Because there's your answer.~

Vash was confused. He knew that, of course, other people's feelings meant nothing to Knives. So why was Knives equating that with Vash not caring about his feelings? Vash really didn't dwell on it too much, as the biggest thing on his mind at the moment was sex. Knives had made sure of that.

Both of them took advantage of their height, using their long legs to propel them quickly down the road leading to their house. As soon as they got inside the door, they were all over each other. They barely made it to the bedroom before the clothes started flying off. Without any loving caresses or tender kisses, they two of them went straight to the bed. This routine was quite familiar to them. Back when they were younger, they argued almost all the time and often ended up having angry sex with each other just as they were doing now. Since sex was so closely tied with their emotions, it didn't really _feel_ as good as when they made love when they weren't angry, but they still had considered it a better alternative to continuing their endless arguments. Of course, ending arguments this way meant they never actually resolved anything, but at the time they frankly hadn't cared. As things were between them now, they didn't seem to argue enough for this to become a problem again, but they could both see how it could easily happen if they didn't learn to keep getting along the way they had recently.

"So Vash, you ready?" Knives was now naked and sitting straddled on top of Vash, who was lying prone on the bed.

"Yes..."

Knives grinned, remembering a "game" he used to play with Vash where he would tease him to the point where he begged Knives for sex. He began lightly stroking Vash's penis. "Do you want it?"

"Yes."

"Badly?"

"Yes!"

Knives ceased his stroking, causing Vash to whimper. "How badly do you want it?"

"Knives, please...please, just take me..."

Knives smirked. So, Vash thought he knew how things were going to go, huh? Well, Knives would just have to prove him wrong. He moved himself up further on Vash's lap, positioning himself over his brother's penis. He slowly lowered himself down as Vash raised his hips a bit to help with the entrance. Once he felt Vash securely inside him, Knives began to move up and down on Vash's lap, his brother moaning delightfully beneath him.

Several minutes later after they had finished, Knives laid down next to his brother on the bed, kissing him softly on the lips. Knives was satisfied with the outcomes of his various experiments that day. He had already reached a conclusion that was pleasing to him. Now, all that was left was for Vash to realize the same thing. His brother seemed confused, but Knives was trying to give him hints, and he was sure Vash would get his message eventually. He wrapped his arms around Vash, nuzzling his neck. _Soon, dear brother_ , he thought to himself. _Soon you'll realize what I've been trying to show you. And when that moment comes, everything will finally be perfect. We can finally have Our Eden..._

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Spazz: Waaah, that was a lengthy chapter. But at least I finished it before...

Knives: Before what?

Spazz: Uhh, before I leave on a trip...again. That's right, for the third chapter in a row, I'm finishing a chapter right before I leave the state on an outing.

Knives: Well, at least Ms. Hopeless Procrastinator has found some motivation to work on this fic.

Spazz: Well, I'll have to find a new motivation soon. I won't be going on all these trips when school starts in two weeks *Laughs hysterically at all the people who are in school already*

Knives: Can't those same people turn around and laugh at you at the end of the year when they get out weeks before you do?

Spazz: Quiet! I'm hoping they'll forget by then ^_^;; Anyway, now for the preview: In the next chapter of Compromise: Uhh, sex? Probably. And hey, let's throw in some alcohol and flashbacks, while we're at it.

Knives: And human bashing!

Spazz: Uhh, sure, whatever. Anyway, see ya next time!

Knives: And don't forget, it's not you, it's me...not liking you.


	5. Conviction

Bootylicious Babble: Hii~~ii! Welcome back to what is, as far as I know, the longest Trigun twincest-centric fic available in English. If anyone's seen a longer one, please tell me...I'm always interested in finding more Vash and Knives goodness ^_^

Knives: And this fic is not only the longest, but also the most slowly written.

Spazz: Waaah, give me a break, school's started up again...Anyway, I'm still surprised at the utter lack of flames...of course, this fic might come under fire now that the people are probably going to start watching out for graphic R fics since they took away the NC-17 option. I truly believe that doing what they did is only going to cause more trouble rather than solve a "problem" that wasn't even the site's responsibility in the first place...*Ahem* I'd better exit rant mode now, as I could stay there for quite a while.

Disclaimer: Knives: Ahh, why the hell do I have to do the disclaimer for this crap? Oh, well...*whispers* Hey, this author is trying to claim Trigun as her own. Sue her! Beat her! Burn her! BURN HER!

Spazz: *Ahem* Characters not mine.

Chapter completed: 2002.11.17

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Chapter 5: Conviction

"So, everyone, what do you want to do now?" Vash queried to the usual group of people sitting around the table. He didn't expect Knives to answer, as even though his brother had been around the girls for a few days, he still rarely spoke in front of them. Vash was hoping Meryl and Milly would think up something that was reasonable enough for Knives not to resist being included in it. After all, he had agreed to play a couple of games of chess against Meryl and Milly the other night, and he had seemed quite fond of the idea of trouncing his human opponents with his superior skill and intellect, so maybe they would think up another activity he would find tolerable.

Milly appeared to be pondering Vash's question. "Well, we could go out somewhere. What was the name of the place that guy at the fruit stand mentioned, Senpai?"

"The Moonlight Serenade. It's a saloon where people from around town can go put their musical skills on display. Anyone who wants to can go up on the stage and sing or play an instrument. I've heard that on a couple occasions, some well-known bands from bigger cities have performed there when they happened to be passing through town."

"And they've got great drinks, too!" Milly chimed in, sounding a bit too excited at the idea.

Vash sweatdropped at Milly's eagerness. "Well, sounds like a good place to me. Knives?" Vash took his brother's usual silence and icy glare combo as a yes. "Okay, let's just clean up a bit and head off."

The quartet left the house and headed in the direction of the town center, the individual members exhibiting varying levels of enthusiasm. They soon found themselves in front of a squat wooden building with a fairly new sign above the entrance that read "Moonlight Serenede," the third 'e' in "Serenede" crossed out and an 'a' written above it. _Stupid humans. Can't even spell their own words right_ , Knives scoffed mentally, suddenly experiencing a strange sense of deja vu. Signs like this were not all that uncommon. Wood was scarce on the planet, and if someone happened to make a mistake while writing on or carving anything made of wood it usually stayed that way for quite some time. Fixing signs in small towns was not exactly a priority as far as wood rationing went.

Inside, the bar was, as one would expect, smoky and rife with the smell of alcohol. There were several tables full of people in the vicinity of a small stage where a man sat strumming an old, beat up guitar. Still more people were crowded around the bar in various stages of sobriety. Vash began to wonder if it was really safe to bring Knives to a place like this. Sure, Knives had been around crowds of people before, but never had he been in a place where half of the people were stumbling around drunk out of their senses. What if someone bumped into him, or threw up on him, or tried to pick a fight? Knives could easily get out of control if any one of these things happened, and Vash was worried that his twin would end up killing someone, or at least badly injuring them, if they happened to cross him.

The foursome managed to find a table near the stage. As the place was quite crowded, it took a few minutes before they were able to flag down a waitress. It took even longer for them to actually receive their order. Once they finally got the chance to sit back and sip at their drinks, though, three out of the four seemed to be quite content (Knives had neither ordered a drink, nor was he pleased to be there).

"Well, this is turning out to be quite a nice evening," Vash said, taking a gulp from his beer. Meryl nodded in agreement, taking a sip from her mixed fruit drink, and Milly responded with a hearty swig from her mysterious blue colored snifter. Knives simply let out a sigh, tapping his fingers on the table impatiently. He didn't see why he even needed to be there. Hadn't Vash realized yet that there was no way in hell he was going to open his heart and embrace all of mankind? As hard as Knives tried to convince him otherwise, Vash seemed to be either unable or unwilling to let go of that particular delusion. It was frustrating to see that, even after so many years, Vash was still as naïve as he had been when they were children, perhaps even more so. He realized that his indirect ways of trying to express his thoughts to Vash weren't working. As much as he didn't want to risk the enjoyable relationship he and Vash were currently sharing, he was going to have to confront his brother with his real feelings soon.

~You could try to be a little more social.~ Vash's voice invaded his mind. Considering what Knives had just been thinking about, Vash's demand had been timed very poorly.

~Fuck off.~ Knives ignored his brother as Vash narrowed his eyes at him. _Just think_ , Knives mused, _Once I confront him about what he's been putting me through, he should stop pestering me to be civil around humans_. The best case scenario, he figured, would be that Vash wouldn't make him be around humans at all. The fact that that outcome was even a possible result of telling Vash the things he'd been trying to show him was more than enough to convince Knives that a confrontation with his brother was absolutely necessary.

Emerging from his contemplative mood, Knives noticed that Meryl was no longer sitting at the table. ~Where'd the bitch go?~

Ignoring Knives' "nickname" for Meryl, Vash answered mysteriously, ~You'll see.~

Knives didn't like that vague reply, but figured he would find out soon enough what his brother was concealing.

A couple minutes later, he got his answer. Meryl returned to the table, clutching a guitar in her hand. "Okay, I was able to borrow one. Are you ready?"

Vash nodded and got up from the table, taking the guitar from her. The two went around to the side of the stage and ascended the stairs together, Knives' eyebrows raising as he noticed Vash's hand gently resting on Meryl's back. Vash sat down on a stool and Meryl approached the microphone. "Umm, we're just going to do a little classic song for you," Meryl said timidly. "We're not professionals, so it probably won't be any good...but anyway, here we go." Meryl looked to Vash, who began strumming his guitar, playing the opening chords to a melody that Knives recognized immediately.

He shook his head in disgust. _Isn't he ever going to get over her?_

Meryl swallowed hard as Vash continued playing his tune. When it came time for her to start singing, Meryl entered shakily. "Sooo, hitotsu-me no yoru ni..." Meryl continued meekly through the first couple verses of "Sound Life." At the third verse, Vash got up from his stool and joined her at the microphone, continuing to pick the guitar as he softly harmonized with her. This boosted her confidence level significantly, causing Meryl to sing in a more self-assured manner. During the musical interlude in the middle of the song, Meryl gave Vash a grateful smile. Knives was positively floored when he saw the adoring, _loving_ look he gave her in return. The same look that he found to be absolutely ravishing when it was directed at himself filled him with jealous rage and disgust when given to someone else. Whether it was directed at Meryl or the memory of Rem didn't matter. Either way, it served to both enrage and deeply wound him. He couldn't take it anymore and stormed out of the bar, getting up with so much force that his chair was knocked to the floor with a clatter. Most of the other bar patrons took no notice, figuring some drunk had knocked something over as they stumbled about. Due to the bright lights directed at the stage, Vash and Meryl didn't even see what had happened.

Knives stood outside the entrance to the bar with his arms crossed, silently seething. The image of the look Vash had given Meryl continued to invade his mind. He couldn't believe that after all he had been trying to do, Vash was still capable of looking at a human like that. That look was meant for _him_ only. If Vash still had such strong emotional attachments to humans, how could he even begin to comprehend what Knives needed from him? Knives was feeling more and more discouraged. What was the point of staying around if Vash didn't understand him? Perhaps he should leave and make Vash come find him again. Knives shook his head. No matter how angry his brother made him, he couldn't tolerate the thought of being separated from him again. Plus, what if Vash _didn't_ come after him? As much as he didn't want to believe that was even possible, he still didn't want to take a risk that would allow that situation to be realized.

Knives heard a bout of rousing applause coming from inside the bar. Moments later, a panicked looking Vash came rushing out the door. "Knives!" he said, sounding breathless. "What are you doing out here?"

"What, did you just expect me to just sit there and be a casual observer of your little public spectacle? I think not."

Vash looked confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, come on!" Knives swiftly moved from his place leaning against the wall to stand directly in front of Vash. "Don't tell me you see absolutely nothing wrong with the fact that you were just exchanging significant glances with a human while singing that...that _woman's_ song!"

Vash looked taken aback. "Meryl's just a close friend, Knives. She'll never be anything more than that." Vash paused. "And I still love Rem. No matter what, I will always love her. I don't see why you're so jealous."

Knives placed his hands on Vash's shoulders. "I know, Vash. And that's the problem." Knives dropped his arms and turned around, walking away from the building.

"Knives! Where are you going?"

"Back to the house. I'm going to bed."

As Knives began to head down the street, he heard Vash swearing softly. "Shit." Knives looked back and saw Vash going back inside the bar. It seemed hanging out with his friends was more important than dealing with his brother. Fine. Knives would go home and think up a way to make it so he would always be Vash's number one priority.

When Knives reached the house, he realized that he was too riled up to go to sleep. Rather than going to the bedroom and even trying to rest, Knives instead opted to go to the kitchen, where he began rifling around in the cupboards. In the back of one of the upper cupboards, he found several bottles of various types of alcohol. _Looks like Vash has quite a substantial hidden stash_. Knives could understand why, as he'd seen the way Milly effortlessly downed glass after glass.

"You looking for anything in particular?" Knives turned around and saw the bleary-eyed and slightly dirty form of Vash.

Knives smirked. "Not anymore." Knives closed the cabinet door and turned to his brother. "So, what brings you here?" Not that the answer wasn't obvious, but Knives still needed to hear Vash say it.

"Well, I was really worried about you when you ran off, so I went back inside to tell the girls I was leaving. On my way back here I, uh, kinda fell..." Vash laughed nervously.

"I guess that explains the dirt," Knives said, looking up and down Vash's body.

"Yeah, I guess I'm not completely sober." Vash laughed goofily some more, making obvious the fact that the alcohol he'd drank earlier was beginning to set in.

Knives let out a sigh. Just minutes ago he'd been angry enough to kill someone, but now, just seeing his dopey, drunken brother, he somehow felt comforted. The fact that Vash had come after him really showed that he cared. There were still things he needed to discuss with his brother, but he might have trouble understanding what Knives wanted from him when he was _sober_ , let alone drunk. They could always talk another day. "So, dear brother, what do you feel like doing now?"

"I don't know about you, but being in this 'half-drunk' state kinda bothers me. It's all or nothing, you know? Is there any good stuff left?"

"Shit, Vash, with the supply you've got, I don't see why you even need to go to bars in the first place." Knives opened the cupboard again and began pulling out bottles. "Anyway, I don't know what out of this stuff is any good. I only drink wine."

"Well, hell, I've got some good wine, Knives."

"Oh, really?" Knives raised an eyebrow dubiously. He wasn't sure how much he trusted Vash's definition of 'good,' especially when it came to the finer things in life.

"Yeah, it's got a good strong flavor. The box is almost full if you want to try some." Vash grinned cluelessly as Knives stared in disbelief at how naïvely unrefined his brother was. Vash displayed his sophistication further by taking a swig directly from a bottle of rum.

Knives cleared his throat. "When I said I only drink wine, I was referring to my own homemade variety."

Vash nearly spat out his mouthful of rum. "You mean you can actually make wine yourself?"

"Yes."

Vash looked as deep in thought as a half-drunk person can be. "So, do you do it all by yourself?"

"Of course."

" _Everything?_ "

Knives was beginning to get irritated. " _Yes_ ," he replied through gritted teeth.

Vash paused to think for a few more moments, then burst into uncontrollable laughter, his mind filled with images of Knives stomping grapes.

Knives simply brushed off his brother's odd behavior with a roll of his eyes, realizing that Vash was on his way to getting hammered and would likely be acting strangely all night. He watched as Vash took the lid off a bottle filled with a clear liquid. Tilting his head back, he practically turned the bottle upside-down as he noisily took several large gulps.

"Oh, YEAH, that's good stuff!" Vash yelled with a stupid grin, his cheeks gradually becoming more and more red. "You wanna try some?"

Knives eyed the bottle hesitantly. He didn't exactly relish the idea of drinking alcohol produced by humans (he only ate the food they made because Vash didn't give him any other options). He recalled from his limited experience with it that it wasn't even very good. Still, seeing his brother standing before him with that stupid—but cute—grin, he found it hard to resist the offer. "Just a little." Knives took the proffered bottle and brought it up to his lips, gingerly taking a sip. He made a face as he swallowed. "That tastes horrible."

"Hmmm, I guess most people don't drink vodka by itself. Maybe you should mix some stuff together with it." Vash retrieved a glass from the cupboard and created a concoction from the contents of a few different bottles. "Here."

Knives took a drink. "Also horrible."

Vash looked at the glass, shrugged, and downed the remaining contents. He turned around and filled the glass with a different mixture of liquids. "How about this?"

Gulp. "Better, but still not good." Vash once again finished the glass for him.

This routine went on for nearly an hour, only Knives would finish his drinks even if he thought they tasted bad and Vash poured himself a matching glass of everything he made for Knives. They eventually ran out of alcohol and retreated to their bedroom. Vash didn't stay in the bedroom long, putting a hand over his mouth and quickly rushing off to the bathroom. Knives flopped down on the bed, regretting the action immediately as it only served to further fuel his throbbing headache. _Why the hell did I let Vash talk me into this?_ he thought, rubbing his temples. He barely suppressed the urge to giggle as he remembered how cute Vash had looked when he first asked Knives to drink with him. _Oh god, I am so fucking drunk..._ He tried to recall the last time he'd drank so much. The giggles he'd been trying to stave off finally came out when he remembered when that had been. _So that's why I felt that deja vu earlier_. Tuning out the horrible noises coming from the bathroom, Knives closed his eyes and indulged himself in a memory from long ago...

"Shit, I can't see a thing," Knives complained, trying to guard his eyes with his tattered cloak.

"Yeah, it's never been this bad before," Vash yelled over the howling winds.

The twins found themselves caught in the worst sandstorm to hit the desert planet since they'd landed on it five years earlier. They couldn't even see three feet in front of their faces, and neither one had any idea where they were on the planet. Vash didn't really mind, since he figured himself a wanderer who had no real home anywhere. Knives, however, had a particular destination in mind (though he wouldn't tell Vash what it was) and he seemed quite frustrated with the fact that they might have, literally, been blown off course.

"What do you think we should do, Knives?"

"We keep walking," Knives said, looking ahead with determination. "This storm has to end sometime, and there's not much else we can do until that happens."

The two continued blindly along their path, not really knowing where they were going to wind up. After a while, Vash saw something in the distance through a small break in the storm. "Hey, I think there's something over that way. Maybe we can stop and take shelter for a while."

Knives normally opposed to any little "side trips" that would cause them to lose time, but since they'd been walking for hours and still had no idea where they were, it would probably be beneficial to wait out the storm somewhere. "Fine." For once, he found himself being led by Vash. He didn't like the feeling of not being in charge, but since he hadn't seen what Vash had he didn't really have any choice. "So what did you see? A cave?"

"No, I think it's a town."

Knives stopped in his tracks. "A town? No way, Vash. No fucking way. I am not going." Under no circumstances did he want to go anywhere near a place where humans were likely to be scurrying around. Well, unless he had a way to exterminate them all instantly, of course.

Vash turned around, looking exasperated. "Knives, I know how much you hate humans, but we don't have much of a choice in this case! Would you rather die out here than be around people?"

"Yes, though I'd much rather have all of them die instead of me."

Vash looked a bit taken aback at first, but, trying not to let his anger get the best of him, he softened his voice. "Come on, Knives. I doubt there'll be any people out on the streets, and if we go somewhere that people aren't likely to be during a storm, like, say, the Plant building, then we probably won't even see any humans, let alone have to interact with them."

"I'm not going."

Vash narrowed his eyes. "Fine, suit yourself." With that, he turned and disappeared into the blowing sand.

Knives immediately found himself regretting his decision, feeling bereft and alone. Though he was trying to maintain control over Vash by showing conviction in regards to his ideals, he still didn't want to be so harsh that his brother would leave him. That was his greatest fear, and he didn't know how he could possibly go on without Vash by his side. He wanted his twin to become dependent upon him so he would be more likely to listen when he ordered him to do things, but Knives secretly knew that he was far more dependent on Vash than Vash was on him. It was difficult to exert control over the one who also happened to be his greatest weakness. "Shit," Knives muttered to himself before heading in the direction he had last seen Vash going.

He quickly caught up to Vash at the pace he was going. "So, you changed your mind?" his brother said with a knowing look.

"I...can't have you running off by yourself." It wasn't the most authoritative answer he could have given, but at least it was better than, "I love you more than anything and if you ever left me I'd want to kill myself." He hoped Vash didn't fully realize how desperately he needed to be with him, though he had a feeling his brother at least suspected it.

They soon arrived at the edge of the town...or what was left of it, that is. It appeared as if the town had been abandoned for at least a couple of years. This was good because it meant there was no chance of Knives having to deal with humans, but also bad because many of the buildings were decrepit and wouldn't provide adequate shelter from the sand storm. Still, some protection was better than none, so the two of them walked down the main street looking for the most suitable building.

As they moved through the desolate village, Knives could feel the bile rising up in his throat. He was pretty sure what had taken place in this town, as the same thing had occurred in several others they'd happened upon during the last five years. Most likely, a group of humans had decided to build a town near one of the Plants that had survived the Great Fall. However, most humans were completely clueless when it came to Plant maintenance, and their negligence caused the Plants to die. With no resources to keep their town alive, the people would abandon their previous homes and start again somewhere else. _Those damn parasites probably just left Her body there to rot_ , Knives thought bitterly. He glanced at Vash, who displayed a solemn mien. He was probably thinking about the same thing Knives was, though he found it more disheartening than disgusting.

Near the end of the street they'd been traveling on, they found themselves standing in front of one of the few buildings in town that still had a roof on it and also had the windows intact. "Well, looks like this is our best bet," Vash said.

Knives looked up at the sign above the door, which read "Salloon." "Stupid humans. Can't even spell their own words right."

Vash ignored his brother's quip and began pulling at the door. It opened after a few strong tugs, nearly knocking Vash off his feet.

The saloon was dark inside, as one would expect, and was pungent with the smell of smoke and alcohol even a few years after its abandonment. Though there was a fine layer of dust and cobwebs covering most of the exposed surfaces, everything appeared to be mostly intact. What was surprising was that the building was filled with tables and chairs, and a large supply of alcohol was still on display behind the bar. _These vermin must have been in a big hurry to leave if they didn't even bother to take these things with them_ , Knives thought. Perhaps the Plant had exploded and the people had fled in terror. Knives hoped that their Sister had taken out a lot of the humans when she died if that's what had happened. Knives sat down at a table. He hated this place even more now that he had an inkling in regards to its history.

"So, how do you figure we should pass the time?" Vash said, leaning with his elbows against the bar.

"I don't know. Play hide-and-seek?" Knives suggested sarcastically.

"Actually, I had something a little more...adult in mind."

Knives' ears (among other things) perked up. Was Vash really saying what he thought he was? Usually Knives was the one who initiated sex, and for Vash to do so was a surprising turn on. Knives turned in his chair. "Oh, really?" he said with a seductive look.

"Yeah." Vash pulled a couple bottles from behind his back. "Let's drink!"

Knives nearly fell to the floor. He cleared his throat to conceal his disappointment at the suggestion. "Maybe just a little." He and Vash had never tried alcohol before. The only experience he'd had with it was when he smelled it on Steve's breath as he yelled while beating them. That experience alone was enough to make him want to swear off alcohol for his entire life. Still, Vash seemed so eager. He supposed he could at least taste it. It's not like he would let himself have enough to lose control.

"Let's see, what shall we try first?" Vash looked excitedly at the several bottles he'd set out in front of himself. He picked up the one furthest to his left, figuring he could just go down the line. "Bottoms up!" He cheerfully tilted his head back and took a swig. His eyes widened and he shook his head as he swallowed. "Wow, that was kinda bitter. Here, you try some."

Knives tentatively took a sip, wrinkling his nose after he swallowed. "I don't like it."

Vash picked up another bottle and went through the same routine as before. "Ooh, this one burns in your throat!"

That managed to pique Knives' curiosity. "Let me see that." He took a bigger sip than before and frowned. "Is it supposed to do that?"

"I dunno." Vash shrugged and continued down the line.

Meanwhile, Knives started at the other end of Vash's line. He picked up a tall bottle and opened it with a pop. He took a swallow and was more pleased with the flavor than he had been with the other drinks. He went behind the bar to find more drinks like it.

A while later, Knives found himself needing to sit down, as he felt dizzy and nauseated when he stood. Vash didn't seem to mind the effects of the alcohol as he stumbled around, tripping over things and laughing goofily. Knives had only liked a few of the drinks he'd tried, severely limiting his choices. Vash, on the other hand, seemed to like everything, and thus had tried all the alcohol he could get his hands on. Knives couldn't believe Vash was even able to stand anymore. As if to prove Knives wrong, Vash chose that moment to take a particularly nasty fall as he attempted to hop over the bar. Despite the pain in his head, Knives knelt down and helped Vash to his feet. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm sssorry. I jus' wuz gonna git over t' your side and..." Vash trailed off, leaning heavily against Knives as he got up.

"It's fine. I just don't want you getting hurt." Knives was somewhat startled at his own words. Was it the alcohol that was making him voice his concerns for Vash? Normally he just would have called Vash an idiot and made him get up on his own.

Even in his less than sober state, Vash noticed the difference in Knives' tone, too. "'s long as yer with me, 'll be okay." Vash leaned forward and clumsily kissed Knives' lips. Knives responded by moaning deeply and pulling his twin closer. Vash's hands began roaming Knives body, awkwardly fumbling with the snaps and buttons required to remove his clothes. Once Vash had managed to undress his brother, Knives hopped up onto the bar and sat with his legs apart. Vash put his hands on his thighs and began playfully kissing and licking Knives' testicles, slowly working his way up to the base of his penis. Knives normally didn't put up with any kind of teasing, but he wasn't sober enough to care. Vash worked him with his tongue for a while, then finally took Knives completely into his mouth. Knives was surprised to find himself gasping and moaning, as he usually didn't make much noise at all during sex. He figured it was probably the alcohol's fault.

Knives threw his head back as he released himself into Vash's mouth. Vash licked his lips and stepped back, beginning to remove his own clothing. Knives found the sight of his brother standing there struggling with his clothes as his seed dripped down his chin to be incredibly arousing, causing him to recover his erection rather quickly. Vash finally wriggled out of the last of his clothing and joined Knives on top of the bar. Knives noticed in Vash's eyes a kind of lust he had never seen in his brother before. Vash dipped his tongue into Knives' mouth, who kissed back hungrily. Vash kept leaning forward until he was lying on top of Knives on the bar. As he was lying with his legs splayed blissfully enjoying Vash's kisses, Knives soon felt a great deal of pressure against his anus, realizing with a bit of shock that Vash was trying to enter him. He had never been dominant like this before, and Knives wasn't sure he wanted to give up his established control, even if it was just one time. He soon forgot about all issues relating to power, though, as he found his head swimming with pleasure as Vash pushed into him a bit further. He could feel a strong mental connection forming between them, indicating they would experience an emotional orgasm soon. They'd become so out of tune with each other from all their arguing recently that Knives couldn't even remember the last time they'd had one. He pressed himself firmly against Vash's probing erection, suddenly wanting him deeper inside of him. Knives had always secretly been aroused by the thought of Vash controlling their love making, and since they were both drunk, he didn't feel like he was undermining the authority he held over Vash by allowing this to happen. It's not like anything was going to change because of one experience...

"It looks like the storm's cleared up. You ready to go, Knives?"

Knives nodded, grabbing his cloak. A couple hours had passed and both of them had sobered up quite a bit. Knives found himself feeling a bit uneasy about being so submissive when he and Vash had had sex earlier. Though he'd convinced himself that nothing would change, he couldn't help but notice a new twinkle in Vash's eye. He felt like Vash was trying to break his control as much as he was desperately trying to keep it, and he'd delivered a blow to Knives' belief that he had absolute authority over his brother. Knives hoped he was just overreacting. He depended on Vash being dependent on him, and if his brother ever began to feel independent, he could very well leave. Knives needed Vash more than anything, and could only hope that his other half would always stay by his side...

Knives was shaken from his thoughts when he felt a body flop down on the bed next to him. "Ugh, I can't believe I drank that much," Vash groaned, clutching his stomach.

Knives sighed, putting his hands over his eyes. "Well, you never have been one to do things in moderation."

Vash rolled over and looked at Knives. "You think that's a bad thing?"

"Depends."

Vash scooted closer to Knives. "I know there're some things you don't mind me doing in excess," Vash said suggestively.

Knives almost laughed. He'd nearly forgotten what a horny drunk Vash was. He was leaning forward to kiss him, but Knives stopped him. "Did you wash out your mouth?" Knives may have been pretty drunk, but he was still coherent enough to know he didn't want to taste Vash's vomit.

"Yeeees. Can we do it now?" Vash wasn't just a horny drunk; he was an incredibly impatient horny drunk.

Knives answered his brother with a kiss. As the two began to undress each other, Knives couldn't help but think about the events he'd remembered earlier. It had been so long ago, but the two of them were still grappling with the same issues as they had been back then. Though he now recognized that he couldn't have complete control over Vash, he still wished he at least had the upper hand in their relationship. Vash knew all of his greatest weaknesses, and Knives didn't want to have to worry about his brother leaving him again in an attempt to keep him in line. Though he had once accused Vash of being terrified of being alone, Knives knew that he was even more afraid of that possibility than Vash was, as his brother at least had humans to fall back on. Knives had nothing but his twin, and even though he preferred it that way, he didn't like how much power it gave Vash over him. He needed to find a way to balance that power. He couldn't stand the way they were living anymore. Knives knew that they needed a compromise.

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Spazz: Woooo, things are getting intense...Uhh *Ahem* Sorry this part took me two months to finish ^_^;; I planned for it to be out around Halloween, but then mid-terms came and gobbled up all my time. Also, this part ended up being a bit longer than I expected (I didn't originally plan for a sex scene in the flashback ^_^;;) and it ended up being awfully repetitive, but you can't really see why Knives is feeling deja vu if you don't know what he went through before, right?

Knives: Hmph. As long as _I_ know all, I don't think it really matters to explain it to the pathetic human audience.

Spazz: Riiiight...Anyway, it's time for the next chapter preview! *Cues preview music...uhh, whatever that may be* On the next exciting episode of Compromise: Some really big shit's gonna go down!

Knives: Did you say I'm gonna go down on Vash?

Spazz: No! Get your mind out of the gutter!

Knives: Make me, bitch.

Spazz: Err, never mind.

Knives: Furthermore, isn't it hypocritical for someone with five fairly explicit sex scenes in her fic to tell _me_ to get my mind out of the gutter?

Spazz: I said never mind! Anyway, see ya'll in the next chapter (if you decide to hang around that long).

Knives: And remember, twincest is best, put your goofy Plant brother to the test.


	6. Confrontation

Droning dribble: Jan ja ja jaaaaan! It's that time again! Time for another saucy session of sexiness with the Trigun two!

Knives: Whoop-dee-shit.

Spazz: *Ahem* Anyway, I'm happy to announce that this is now my most reviewed fic. In fact, it has more reviews than my other two fics combined at this point. Yippee! Speaking of reviews, I noticed that a couple people commented on spelling errors and such in the last chapter. I was rather surprised at that, as I'm a very careful speller (I thought people would be more concerned about my long, droning sentences and paragraphs). I went back and checked all the parts for errors. Most chapters only had one or two, and the fifth one had a couple more than that. So while I understand why some people made comments, I still don't understand the person who told me I misspelled "testicle." I spelled it exactly the same way they did (and, no, that's not one of the things I went back over and changed). If by misspelling you mean that I made it plural, I do hope you realize that men have two of them. Please know your anatomy before reporting supposed errors to me ^_^ Anyway, time to get down to business. Away we go!

Disclaimer: Turn back now, mortal! For you are about to enter a realm so twisted that it would make your mind melt and turn to goo to even envision it! I speak, of course, about the world created by a person who does not own Trigun, but yet fiendishly plots out the characters' lives in her own sick manner. Bwa ha ha ha!

Chapter completed: 2003.01.26

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Chapter 6: Confrontation

"Ugh, I feel like I got hit by a sand steamer." Vash rolled over with his head in his hands, trying to block out the searing light of the day. Why did he keep doing this to himself? Would he ever learn to just stop when he reached his limits? Vash pulled the covers up tightly over his head. He was 134 years old; if he hadn't learned by now after all the horrible hangovers he'd experienced in his life, he probably never would. He looked over to his brother, who was still sound asleep. Knives hadn't lost control as much as Vash had, but he had still been pretty out of it. Vash wondered if Knives would even remember the things that had happened the night before. Vash knew that his brother had been pretty angry with him at one point, yet he'd seemed to drop the issue rather quickly. Even though he had been drunk, he could tell there were things Knives wanted to talk to him about. _Well, if it was something important, I guess Knives will bring it up to me again sometime._

Though his body protested, Vash pushed himself up into a sitting position on the bed. His head was pounding and he could detect the faint taste of vomit in his mouth. He felt dizzy just sitting as he was. Still, Vash had been through worse than this before, so he forced himself onto his feet and into some clean clothes. He shuffled his way to the bathroom where he splashed cold water on his face to wake himself up. Taking in his disheveled appearance in the mirror, Vash went to work fixing his hair and brushing his teeth in order to make himself look presentable. Meryl and Milly would be home for lunch soon, and he knew that they (Meryl in particular) didn't really appreciate the fact that Vash was often just rolling out of bed at the time when they were taking a break in the middle of their grueling work days. Vash could at least make it _look_ like he had been up and being productive for a while.

Just as he was exiting the bathroom, the front door opened. "Good afternoon, insurance girls." Vash noticed that Meryl had entered alone. "Or, rather, insurance girl."

Meryl let out a sigh. "Milly had a little _too_ much to drink last night and got up late. I hear she's being punished with window washing and other odd jobs."

Vash chuckled. "Some things never change."

Meryl looked down sadly. "Yeah, it seems that way..."

Vash blinked, cocking his head to one side. "Something wrong?"

Meryl raised her head with a start. "Oh, no, of course not," she said, smiling and waving her hands. She decided to change the subject to something that would surely make Vash forget about her behavior. "So, what do you want to do for lunch? I could cook something up for you."

Vash perked up. "Oh, yeah, that sounds great!" Though he made it appear as if he had completely forgotten about what Meryl had said, inside, the gears were turning in his spiky-haired head. _There's obviously something important on her mind. I wonder what it is..._ Vash decided it wouldn't be a good idea to interrogate her about what was bothering her. He knew that doing that would cause a person like Meryl to just close up even more. In her case, the best way to get her to speak up would be to say nothing at all. She would soon become uncomfortable with the silence and bring up whatever was weighing on her mind on her own. Vash would just sit silently at the table and wait.

After turning on the stove to heat up some soup, Meryl came in and sat down at the table with him. Clearing her throat in the uncomfortable silence, Meryl tried to think of something to talk about with Vash. "So, uh, Vash, have you heard the good news?"

"What good news?" Ever since Knives had first pointed out to him that Meryl had stopped calling him 'Mr. Vash,' he noticed that she now always just called him 'Vash.' He couldn't help but wonder what had sparked such a sudden change in the way she addressed him.

"Well, it seems that recently the Plants in this area have suddenly started working a lot more efficiently than they ever have before. Though everyone's really happy about it, no one really knows why it's happening. Not even the Plant technicians can figure out what's going on."

Vash thought for a second then smirked. "Oh, I think I have an idea about what's happening," he said, nodding with a slightly perverted sounding chuckle.

Meryl looked confused at Vash's response. "Umm...what do you think the reason is?"

Vash's eyes snapped wide open. _Shit, did I really just say that? Stupid stupid stupid!_ He'd been so busy thinking about the most likely reason why the Plants were working better that he had forgotten whom he was talking to. He cleared his throat and closed his eyes. "It's probably because both Knives and I are nearby, and the Plants find our presence comforting." He opened an eye to look at Meryl, who seemed to accept his explanation.

"Oh, I see. I guess that makes sense."

Vash wasn't telling Meryl a complete lie, but he wasn't exactly telling her the whole truth, either. True, the other Plants seemed to be happier when they were close to their brothers on the outside, but that didn't usually have any effect on how efficiently they produced resources. What _did_ have a profound effect on them was the bond that Knives and Vash created when they had sex. It was strong enough that Plants within a certain radius could feel some of the ecstasy that they experienced. And with Vash and Knives having sex two or more times per day ever since Knives had awoken, the Plants in the area certainly had reason to feel more energetic and lively.

Meryl got up to check on the soup. She returned with two bowls and set them on the table. She cleared her throat again. "Speaking of your brother, there are a couple of things I've been wondering about."

 _Ah, so whatever's been bothering her has to do with Knives,_ Vash thought. Well, in that case, it could probably be easily solved. If he'd said or done something offensive, Vash could just brush it off as he usually did by saying that Knives wasn't used to living with humans and he sometimes didn't think about what he said (though that was a complete lie, since Knives rarely spoke in front of humans and everything he _did_ say was meticulously planned). "What did he do?" Vash prompted.

"Well, when Milly and I came home last night, we heard, uhh…a lot of noise coming from your bedroom."

Vash nearly spit out his mouthful of soup. He choked a bit and coughed. "Umm, exactly what kinds of things did you hear?"

"Well, there was a lot of screaming and yelling, and I distinctly heard Knives saying...ahem, things I'd rather not repeat." Meryl blushed a bit and cleared her throat again. "I was just wondering what in the world he was doing in there."

Vash knew he had the look of a touma caught in the headlights. Rationalizing Knives' aloofness towards humans was easy enough, but how could he explain a noisy, drunken sex romp that had been made clearly audible by screams and yells of 'Fuck me'? Vash let out a breath of air. "Uhh, well, after we got home, Knives had quite a lot to drink. And when he gets drunk, hoo boy, does he get wild! And when he gets wild he likes to jump up and down on the bed and scream out random things, some of which may be of a rather, uhh, lewd nature. So that's probably what you were hearing last night." Vash nearly cringed when he finished speaking. _That had to be the lamest excuse ever_. Still, Vash figured it didn't really matter how good the excuse was, so long as Meryl believed it.

"I see," Meryl said slowly. Though she didn't come right out and say it, Vash could tell that things were clicking together in the head of the girl whose temper was as short as her hair. Surely she had enough evidence by now to piece together what was going on. After all, she had nearly caught them in the act on more than one occasion. He'd always managed to bumble his way through some semi-reasonable excuses (though he had really been stretching the limits of believability the time when he'd had to explain to her what the hell his pants were doing in the kitchen), but he had a feeling that she wasn't really buying his half-baked explanations. If Knives were anyone but his brother, Meryl probably would have already assumed that they were sleeping together. Well, as long as Meryl believed that Vash had strong enough human morals not to resort to incest, everything would be fine.

After enduring the uncomfortable silence that the rest of the meal comprised, Meryl got up from the table. "Well, I'd better head back to work. After all, I have to do my part in making sure we have enough money to live on," Meryl said, with the oh-so-subtle hint that Vash really needed to start pulling his weight around the house.

"Eh heh heh, okay, see you when you get home!"

"Bye Vash," Meryl said, walking out the door.

Vash sighed as the door closed behind her, letting the clownish grin drop from his face. "Why does my life have to be so complicated? Can't things just be simple for once? Maybe I should go live with Lina again. Things were pretty simple then...that is, until they got complicated. Gaaah!"

"I couldn't help but notice that, while you seem to be enjoying an irritatingly noisy and lively conversation, you seem to be lacking a conversation partner. Dare I say that you've gone even crazier, dear brother?"

Vash turned around at the sound of his brother's voice...then proceeded to burst out laughing at Knives' appearance. With his messy hair, squinted eyes and paler than usual skin, Knives was definitely not living up to his usual refined standards at the moment. He attempted a threatening scowl, which only caused his brother to laugh harder.

"I'm so glad that you find my appearance so amusing. However, I think you'll be somewhat less amused once I shove my foot up your ass."

Vash let his snickers die down. "I'm sorry, Knives, it's just that you look so...cute." A chuckle managed to escape. "It's pretty obvious that you don't do this very often."

"You're a fucking genius, you know that, Vash? How in the world did you manage to figure that brain bender out? Your powers of deduction never cease to amaze me." Vash started laughing again, as Knives' hangover driven ranting was only making him seem even cuter in Vash's eyes. "You know, I was trying to be considerate and not resort to beating you to a bloody pulp for all the damn racket you've been making, but I'm seriously beginning to reconsider."

Vash stifled his laughter again. "Sorry. Hey, listen, I know you're kinda pissed off right now, but I think you could use some advice from the King of Hangovers."

"Don't you feel even a little bit of shame referring to yourself as that?"

Vash blinked innocently. "Why would I?"

Knives sighed and put his head in his hands. "Never mind. Now get on with your advice before you make my head ache even more."

"Okay, first you should go take a shower. While you're in there I'll make you some good food to eat. It should be ready by the time you're finished. Once you're nice and clean and have some food in you, you'll see how much better you look and probably start to feel better."

"Is bathing and eating really enough to get rid of a hangover?"

"Well, not exactly. But if you focus on getting up and getting ready for the day, you can forget about the pain temporarily. Once you have time to think about it again, it's practically already gone."

"Come on, Vash, how in the world can that possibly work?"

"All I did today to make myself feel better was make myself look better, and just look at how energetic I am now!"

"Yeah, well, using yourself as an example is more of a deterrent than a motivation. I'm no fucking optimistic pansy like you are, Vash. I'd prefer some kind of actual scientific method that would balance the chemicals in my body."

"Knives, not everything needs to be done scientifically. Come on, you need to get up and get ready anyway, so why not just see if my method works for you?"

Knives grumbled to himself for a moment, then sighed with resignation. "Fine. I'll go take a shower now. But if I still feel like shit after this, I'm going to make good on my promise to kick your ass."

Vash smiled. "Okay!" He stared after Knives as he walked down the hall towards the bathroom, then strolled into the kitchen where he began preparing a meal for his brother.

A while later, Knives entered the kitchen donning only a towel. "Is the food ready yet?"

"Yep. Go ahead and eat." Vash had prepared some sandwiches and other light foods that would be easy for his brother to handle. "Are you feeling any better yet?"

Knives took a sip of the tea Vash had made. "Maybe just a little."

"See? I told you my way would work."

Knives cleared his throat. "Not necessarily. It's probably just that the aftereffects of the alcohol are wearing off over time. That's probably what happens to you, too, but you just had to come up with some sappy explanation for it."

"Well, I think you would feel even better if you thought of it the way I do."

Vash didn't realize that what he was saying was touching on something that had been bugging Knives for nearly his entire life. "You know, Vash, not everyone thinks the same way you do. Nor do they have the desire to do so. You are not always right."

Vash looked confused. "When did I ever say I thought I was always right?"

Knives got up from the table. "Think about it for a minute. I'm going to get dressed."

Vash followed his twin down the hallway and into their bedroom. He watched as Knives picked out his clothes for the day and began to put them on. "Knives, I honestly don't know what you're talking about."

Knives zipped up his pants and shook his head in disbelief. "Dammit, Vash, are you so blinded by your burning sense of justice that you can't even see what you do? You're always telling others what they should do because you seem to believe that you are always right. Of course, I don't really think you can help it now, since you were brainwashed by that woman when we were young."

Vash narrowed his eyes. "What does Rem have to do with this?"

"She was always going around and condemning others when they did things that didn't match with her beliefs, like when she got angry at Joey for killing Rowan when he had a gun pointed at her. She made herself appear to be so righteous that she would make others doubt their own way of living. And since you worship everything that woman stood for, you now emulate the actions she took in the past. You tell everyone who doesn't agree with your way of thinking what they 'should' be doing, and you won't let up until you've gotten your way. I heard about what you did to Chapel's pupil. You kept badgering him to change his ways, and you eventually succeeded. But then he died because of it. And yet you continue to think that your beliefs are 'The Way' and all who do not follow you need to be 'saved.'"

Vash glared at Knives through the tears in his eyes. "I am not the one who has caused my friends to die. It's because of the things _you_ did while trying to get me to come back to you that got them killed."

"Oh, I'm sure I had a part in their deaths, but I'm saying that I'm not the only one to blame." Before Vash could protest, Knives continued. "In any case, I don't really care when you apply your way of thinking to humans. What I _do_ care about is when you try to boss me around and compare me to the standards you've set for proper human behavior."

"I don't expect you to act like a human."

"Oh, really? Then why do want me to talk to them? Why do you want me to live among them? Why do you expect me to follow their moral code? No matter what you say, Vash, I know you still feel uneasy about us sleeping together. I can see the guilt in your eyes every time."

Vash looked down. "I know. I've been trying to change the way I think about it so I don't feel bad about our relationship, but I haven't really been all that successful so far."

"And you know why you haven't been successful? Because you won't listen to me. Since I don't agree with your philosophy, you think the things I say don't have any merit. In fact, knowing that you won't listen to me, I've been trying to show you things in other ways."

"Like how?"

"Well, remember that day we had sex in the dressing room? You really didn't want to do that, right? Yet I was able to convince you rather easily."

"Yes, I remember you saying that you did it because you wanted to confirm something. What exactly did you mean by that?"

"I was trying to see exactly how much stronger your instincts were than your belief in human morals. And, not surprisingly, your true feelings were far more powerful. I thought maybe you would realize the same thing and come to accept what you really are, but apparently you've been completely oblivious to everything I've been trying to do for you. Or, rather, for us." Knives paused for a moment as Vash stared at him in silent contemplation before continuing.

"You've been self-centered and completely focused only on what _you_ want. And I've been trying as hard as I can to go along with the plan you've got set out for us in your head. But I just can't do it, Vash. You may think I've been uncooperative in regards to your efforts to integrate me into human society, and I have been to some extent, but I'm not being nearly as uncooperative as I could be. I still hate humans with every fiber of my being, yet have I done anything to harm them since I arrived in this town? Have I even done so much as _threaten_ them since I awoke? No, I haven't, and it's all because of you. But I can't take it anymore, Vash. While you may be happy with this arrangement, I'm miserable here. So I've been trying to think about what would be best for both of us. Of course, it's quite difficult to figure out what that is without your input. But it's hard to bring it up to you when you've been happy with the way things are and see no reason to change. But since you seem to finally be listening to me now, I just want to let you know that, more than anything else, more than ridding the world of humanity, more than liberating our Sisters in captivity, all that matters to me is making our life better for the both of us."

Vash sat with his head in his hands. 'Our life,' Knives had said. Knives never made the word "life" plural when he was talking about the two of them. It was a symbol of how closely the two of them were connected, that they were one being in heart and soul. Vash felt tears begin to slip downs his cheeks. There was such a strong bond between them, yet Vash had been completely oblivious to what Knives had really been thinking all this time. _How could I have been so selfish_? Vash thought. He sniffled and turned to his brother. "You know, even though I don't agree with everything you've said, you're right about a lot of things. I'm sorry I've been so selfish and only thinking of my own needs. I'm sorry I made you feel like you can't talk to me. And, most of all, I'm sorry that I've been making you suffer. I love you more than anything else and I want you to be happy." Vash broke down in tears, and Knives leaned forward and took his brother into his arms. He began to kiss Vash's tears away, just as he had done the first night after he had awoken. Soon, his lips found their way to Vash's, and the two shared a long, deep kiss. When the kiss began to turn sexual and Vash's hands started to wander a bit, Knives stopped him.

"Vash, before we can share some hot makeup sex, there're still some things we need to discuss." Though Vash looked disappointed, he nodded and waited for Knives to continue. "You just said that you love me more than anything, right? Does that mean that you love me enough to give up humanity?"

"No, Knives. I know you don't understand this, since you can't stand humans, but I have friends who are very dear to me that I don't want to lose. I just love life too much to allow you to take it away from anyone."

Knives wanted to roll his eyes but managed to refrain from doing so. "It's hard to think of a compromise for the two of us when we have such different beliefs..." Knives bowed his head in thought. "Why don't we each name one condition that is absolutely required for us to be satisfied? Then we'll at least know what parameters we'll have to work within."

Vash nodded. "That sounds reasonable."

"All right, my condition is that I absolutely refuse to live with humans."

"And my condition is that I absolutely refuse to let you harm any humans."

Knives tapped his fingers together in thought. "Okay, how about this: you and I get out of this town and go somewhere far away from any human settlements. There, we can build our own home and live together for the rest of our life. And that will become the Eden I've always wanted us to have."

Vash looked deep in thought. "That may work for you, but what about me? I don't want to cut off contact from my friends completely."

Knives sighed. "I guess you can go visit them if you really need to. But you will never, under any condition, be allowed to bring them anywhere near our home, got it?"

Vash nodded. "I think I can handle that." The two sat in silence for a minute. "So, is this it? Can it really be true that, after 134 years, we managed to solve all our problems just like that?"

Knives crossed his arms. "I have to admit that I've been planning for this confrontation, but I never imagined it would end up being so profitable. I don't think we've resolved everything just yet, but I'm glad that we came as far as we did in such a short amount of time."

"Yeah..." Vash shifted on the bed a bit. He turned to Knives with a lustful smile. "So, can we get on with that hot sex you mentioned earlier?"

Knives laughed in disbelief. "Have you been thinking about that this whole time?"

"Mmm hmm." Vash put himself over Knives, straddling his lap. Knives slipped Vash's shirt over his head then flipped him over so he was lying on top of him. Knives kissed Vash on the mouth briefly, then worked his way down to his neck and shoulder blades as his hand found its way down the front of Vash's pants. Vash tossed his head back in pleasure and noticed that the door was slightly ajar. He shifted his head some more and saw the wide, grayish purple eyes of a very shocked looking Meryl staring back at him.

"Oh, shit."

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Spazz: Dun dun DUN! Meryl has seen the men engaged in hot man love! What ever shall she do? *Ahem* Anyway, I believe around chapter two someone reviewed saying that they thought Meryl and Milly shouldn't find out...well, sorry, but I had it planned from the beginning ^_^ (actually, this fic has changed quite a bit from what I originally planned, but I'll explain that once I get to the part wherein the main difference lies). Anyway, we're almost to the end here, people! Depending on how long-winded I am during The Explanation scene, this fic will either have one more long chapter, two somewhat shorter chapters, or one more chapter and an epilogue. You know, this fic was only supposed to be about four parts long. Now it appears as if, just like what happened with my last fic, it'll be twice as long as I originally planned for.

Knives: It's also taking twice as long as you planned for, wretched human.

Spazz: Oh, yeah, I forgot my procrastination excuse for the chapter! The reason this chapter is one of the shorter ones (of course, when my average chapter is 5000 words, does anyone really notice when they're slightly shorter?) yet still took the longest to write is...computer strategy games! Damn Empire Earth and Age of Mythology taking up my time.

Knives: You know, you could just _not_ play. Or you could be studying to get your pathetically low GPA up to a decent level.

Spazz: I don't need to study, it's boring!. And a 3.93 is not pathetic!

Knives: I'm sure that if I were attending your pitiable human college, my GPA would be an infinite point infinite...to the infinite power.

Spazz: But it only goes up to—

Knives: I'm aware of the limitations set for humans. But since I am so vastly superior to your negligible species, I would be so high above their level of comprehension that they would be unable to measure my greatness.

Spazz: Yes, of course...Anyway, in the next chapter of Compromise: how will Meryl react to finding out the truth about Vash and Knives? Will she be sad? Will she get angry? Or will she get out her camera and take pictures for her yaoi website? Stay tuned ^_^

Knives: And don't forget, we have an adiction of paper if we ever run out of paper we would have to go "cold turky". We need note! We need note!


	7. Conversation

Blithering blather: Ossu! Well, this is where we get off, everyone!

Knives: I think you mean this is where Vash and I get off.

Spazz: Eh heh heh, right...Anyway, I planned on using my Spring Break to finish up this fic, and here I am, the first day of class after the break just barely finishing it now ^_^;; It also happens to be the same day that Trigun begins airing on Adult Swim! Oh, joy, I shall now prepare myself for the flood of newbies writing me things like "hEy, who is ths "knvies" guy?!vashs us in luv wirh merly!111" I hope everyone has enjoyed this long and strange journey into the not-often-enough explored realm of Trigun twincest. I've really appreciated all the comments and encouragement you readers have given me along the way. I love you guys ^_^

Knives: Oh, gag me with a spoon.

Spazz: Wouldn't a knife be more appropriate?

Knives: Actually, in this fic, the most appropriate gagging implement would be Vash's penis.

Spazz: Of course...anyway, prepare yourselves for the end! Heeeere we go!

Disclaimer: You know :P

Chapter completed: 2003.03.31

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Chapter 7: Conversation

"Wow, it sure is deserted in here today," Meryl said, looking around at the larger than usual number of empty tables in the restaurant. "I wonder what's going on."

"Hey, as long as it means less work for us, I'm not complaining." Meryl looked at the tall, redheaded waitress who was known as Polly. "I'm going outside for a cigarette. Wanna join me?"

"No, thank you." Meryl didn't think it would be wise to come home smelling like smoke after work. It would only serve to remind Milly of the priest she had lost not too long ago. Meryl bowed her head and let out a sigh. Though the man Meryl cared about was still around, he was so distant from her that it sometimes felt like he wasn't even there at all. Then again, there were other times when he acted so familiar with her that it appeared as if he might share her feelings. He really was quite the complicated man. _Or Plant, rather_. She still found it difficult to think of Vash as not being human. Everyone on the planet had always been taught that Plants could only survive inside their bulbs, that they neither spoke nor understood human language, and that the only purpose they served was to produce resources. Vash definitely didn't fit any of those criteria, and Meryl couldn't help but wonder how normal Plants could have given birth to creatures like Vash and Knives.

Meryl's thoughts were interrupted when the burly voice of her boss invaded her ears. "What'cha daydreamin' about, Ms. Stryfe?"

Meryl immediately straightened up. "Oh, just, uh, people and things...sir."

The mustached man raised an eyebrow playfully. "There a man on your mind?"

A blush spread across the shorthaired woman's face. "No, of course not, sir. I was thinking about how few customers we've had today, sir. When at work, the only thing on a good employee's mind is business, after all."

The man adjusted the cigar in his mouth. "Well, I'll tell ya what, Ms. Stryfe. Since you're always such a hard worker, and there've been so few customers today, I'm gonna let you go ahead and take the rest of the day off."

"Are you sure about this, sir?"

"Sure, sure. Polly can handle things on 'er own. Where _is_ that girl, anyway?"

"I believe she's taking another break, sir."

"See? That's why she's stayin' here and you're goin' home. So go, have fun." He paused and winked. "Maybe go out on a date with that man you've been thinkin' about."

Meryl blushed again. "Thank you for allowing me this privilege."

"No problem. See ya tomorrow."

Meryl gathered up her things and headed out the door. "Where're you going?" Polly asked her as she walked by.

"The boss is giving me the rest of the day off."

Polly let out a puff of smoke. "You mean he's gonna make me do everything by myself?"

"It appears that way..." Meryl was going to apologize for leaving her with all the work, but the taller woman simply huffed and stormed inside, intending to give the boss a thorough tongue-lashing, no doubt. Meryl sighed, trying not to feel bad about leaving like this. After all, she had covered for Polly several times on days that had been far busier than this one.

Meryl looked around as she began the short walk back to her home, wondering how she could spend the rest of the day. She wasn't used to having time off, and she wasn't sure what to do with it. Milly usually didn't get off of work for a few more hours, and that particular day she expected her to get off later than usual since she had come in late that morning. She could hang around with Vash and Knives, but she was still intensely afraid of Vash's brother. It was quite obvious that he didn't like her, or any other human, for that matter. He supposedly acted differently when he and Vash were alone, but Meryl found that hard to imagine when all she had ever seen of him was his cold as ice death glare.

Meryl arrived at the house and noticed that there were dirty dishes on the table. She sighed. Couldn't the two of them even pick up after themselves? She came closer and noted that the plates still had food on them. It was quite unusual for food to be left behind when Vash was around, and she wondered what could have happened that would cause them to leave so suddenly that they didn't even finish eating...where _were_ those two, anyway? Vash was usually in the living room when she came home from work. Of course, since she was coming home earlier than usual, there was no reason to expect that he sat in that exact spot all day long as he diligently awaited her return. She may have had feelings for him, but she wasn't delusional. Perhaps he had gone out somewhere. Although, she knew Knives hated leaving the house and only ventured out when he was forced. Was it possible that Vash had gone somewhere and left Knives behind? Now _there_ was a scary thought. How would she defend herself if she ended up being alone in the house with Vash's brother? She shook her head. _Come on, Meryl, you're just overreacting_. She figured they were either both at home or they had both gone out. Surely Vash wouldn't have left Knives in a position that allowed him to wreak havoc on random unsuspecting victims.

Meryl decided she would first look around the house before she began scouring the town for their whereabouts. She made her way through the kitchen and down the hallway, where she found their bedroom door to be closed. She hesitated before knocking. What if they were getting dressed? What if they had gone back to sleep? What if Knives was in there alone? Meryl shook her head and slapped her cheeks. _Come on, you've faced situations far scarier and more dangerous than this one. Just go!_ Meryl raised her hand and knocked timidly on the door. She didn't hear any reply. She tried knocking again, this time a little louder. "Umm, Vash? Are you in there?" She didn't get a response, so she opened the door a bit just to make sure whether anyone was in there or not. Meryl's eyes went wide with shock when she took in what was happening before her.

Knives and Vash were both lying shirtless on the bed, with Knives hands and lips roaming all over Vash's body. As Knives' hand slipped down the front of Vash's pants, Vash began to gasp and moan, obviously enjoying himself very much. He tossed his head back and his eyes met Meryl's. Vash uttered the only thing that seemed appropriate for the situation.

"Oh, shit."

Knives looked up from what he was doing. "What's wrong?" He looked up further and noticed Meryl standing in the doorway. "Oh."

Vash struggled out from underneath his brother and hastily zipped up his pants. "Uh, hey there, Meryl. Wow, what are you doing home so early?"

Meryl's mouth opened and closed wordlessly a few times before she shook her head and walked away.

"Shit shit shit," Vash mumbled as he pulled on his shirt and rushed out the door.

Knives sighed and sat back on the bed. Why did humans always have to ruin their fun?

Vash made his way down the hallway, where he caught Meryl in the living room staring out the window. He approached hesitantly and sat down on the couch next to her. He struggled to think of how he could explain what she had seen in the gentlest way possible. He cleared his throat. "So, uhh..."

"That was the first time," Meryl interrupted him in a voice that was surprisingly monotonous.

Vash blinked. "Huh?"

Meryl looked down. "That was the first time you called me by my name," she said softly.

Vash rubbed his head in thought. "Really? Huh. I wonder why that is..."

"Probably because you had your guard down in the moment you were caught in your lie." Meryl's voice had become considerably more confrontational.

Vash looked down in thought. "Listen, I know this must be a shock to you, but an appropriate time to talk about this just never came up before. I mean, this is kind of an unusual situation, and I wasn't sure how you would take it if I just brought it up out of the blue."

"You should have told me." She turned to look at him for the first time since he'd entered the room, her eyes brimming with tears. "You should have told me that Knives was really your lover and not your brother, instead of letting me think that...that..." She didn't need to finish her sentence for him to know that she was going to say Vash shouldn't have let her believe that she actually had a chance with him.

Vash began twiddling his thumbs. "I'm sorry if I've been giving you the wrong idea, but there's something you've misunderstood here." Vash took in a deep breath. "I haven't been lying to you about Knives being related to me. He really _is_ my twin brother."

Meryl's voice lost its confrontational air. "Oh." After thinking for a second her face contorted into an expression mixed with confusion and disgust. "So if you really are brothers, why were you...?" Once again, Meryl knew she didn't need to finish her sentence for Vash to understand what she meant.

Vash crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, it's kind of hard to explain, especially to a human. Don't get me wrong, because up until recently I myself didn't fully understand why Knives and I share the kind of relationship we do. You have to look at it in the most objective way possible, without paying any regard to human ideology. Do you think you can do that?"

"I can try my best."

"Okay." Vash appeared to be deep in thought for several moments as he tried to think of the best way to explain the situation. Knives probably understood better than he did, but he realized that Knives would explain it in the most condescending manner possible to Meryl, which wouldn't be all that helpful. He took a deep breath. "I told you before that Knives and I aren't human, right? Well, being a part of a different species means that we live by separate standards than people do. All of us Plants are related to each other, and Knives and I call the other Plants our Sisters, but it's not exactly the same kind of relationship that exists between human siblings. Plants reproduce asexually, so it's not the same as a man and a woman creating a child together like humans do. As far as Knives and I can tell, Plants don't have any sexual feelings whatsoever; they just reproduce when they feel the time is right. The same is not true for Knives and me, though. We were born with bodies that are only different from humans in that we possess the powers of Plants. But we feel all the same things that humans do, even if Plants don't naturally feel such things...including sexual arousal." Vash could tell Meryl was feeling a bit uncomfortable hearing him talk about sex, but he knew she must be curious about it, seeing as how she had walked in on Vash and Knives as they were about to engage in the act.

Meryl cleared her throat. "This may be a bit off the subject, but why, or rather, _how_ was it possible for two human-like beings to be born from a Plant?"

Vash clasped his hands together. "That's one thing I myself am not sure about. Perhaps the Plant that gave birth to Knives and me was around humans a lot and somehow managed to copy their structure and reproduce it inside Herself. We never really got the chance to find out, since She's the only Plant that ever did it, and She died in the Great Fall," Vash paused, as he still got choked up thinking about all the lives of both Plants and humans that were lost on that fateful day. "As for why we were born...well, Knives and I have differing opinions on that. I always believed that the Plant that gave birth to us wanted to improve Plant and human relations by creating a go-between that understood the feelings of both species. Knives, on the other hand, believed that the Plants wanted liberation from their human enslavers, and created beings that had the capacity to change things." Vash leaned his head back against the couch. "Whether we were created for either of those reasons, or for a completely different purpose, or even just on the whim of a bored Plant we can't be sure, but we do both hold the belief that we were originally intended to be one being."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Looking at our personality traits, we've noticed that we either have the exact same features or the exact opposites. With the thought that we were originally intended to be one being, we believe that whatever positive or negative traits that would have naturally been a part of that being's disposition ended up being spread to both of us. Anything that would have been neutral, however, ended up being split, resulting in the two of us being on entirely different ends of the spectrum in some ways." Vash noticed that Meryl looked a little baffled. "I know this seems kind of unbelievable, but keep in mind that Knives and I aren't human." Vash thought for a moment. "I guess a more concrete way of demonstrating this is by comparing our power. When Knives and I were fighting with our Angel Arms, we were able to neutralize each other. We basically cancel each other out.

"But I guess the strongest evidence that we are one is the bond that exists between us. As I said before, it's not the same as the bond between human brothers...in fact, it would be considered inappropriate for human siblings to share the kind of bond that we do. Knives and I are tied to each other many ways…emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. And for some reason, reuniting into one being in a physical manner actually has an effect on all the other ways in which we are linked together. I can't explain why a physical act that stems purely from the instincts coming from the human-like qualities of our bodies could play a role in tightening the bond between us as Plants, but in unusual circumstances such as ours, I guess there are some things that just can't be explained."

Meryl nodded slowly as she took everything Vash was saying, still somewhat in a stage of disbelief that this was all actually happening. She tried to think of how to respond. "So, if this really is something that feels natural to you, why did you say before that you've had trouble dealing with it?"

"Because I've been so heavily influenced, or, as Knives would say, corrupted by humans over the years. I had absolutely no reservations when our relationship first turned sexual, because it just felt good and natural, and, since Knives and I spent our first several years on this planet solely with each other, there wasn't anyone around to say that what we were doing was wrong. Once we were separated, however, I immersed myself in human society and became ashamed of what Knives and I had shared. In the many decades we were apart, I developed a human side of my personality, building on the things I had learned from Rem. I tried to be as human as I could, and tried to completely forget the years Knives and I had spent together doing things that the human side of myself had come to believe were wrong. And it worked. Up until a couple weeks ago, I had completely erased from my mind all the feelings that emerged from the intimate side of my relationship with Knives...which is why I was so surprised when everything came rushing back to me when I brought him here to live with me again. Ever since he's been here, I've been struggling to reconcile the human side of my personality that's developed over the years with my natural feelings as a Plant. However, there is still a separation between the two. Earlier when I called you by your name, you were right about my guard being down, because Knives is what causes my guard to drop. He's the only one who has access to me in my most natural state of being."

Though Meryl was still in a bit of shock at hearing Vash talking about this kind of subject, she was also happy that he was actually opening up to her for once. She actually wanted the conversation to continue. "So, how exactly did all of this start?"

"Well, I told you before that Knives and I developed at a much more rapid pace than humans, right? The rate of our growth was comparable to a month for us equaling a year for humans. Knives and I landed on this planet when we were one year old, and our first time together was a couple months after that, or when we were physically about fourteen or fifteen." Vash caught Meryl's eyes widening at the very idea of one year olds having sex with each other, even if they had matured to teenagers physically. "I know, we were pretty young, but when hormones are beginning to kick in and there's no one around to tell you what to do, there's no reason to try to resist your body's natural urges..."

"Damn, it's getting a lot colder than usual," Knives said, pulling his cloak more tightly around his thin shoulders.

"No kidding," Vash replied through chattering teeth.

"We should find a cave or something before we freeze to death." Vash nodded in agreement and the two young Plants began searching for anything that would shelter them from the harshness of this unusually cold night. During the couple of months they'd been traveling together since the Great Fall, they could usually fend off the cold with only their sleeping bags, but there had been a couple of occasions when they'd needed to find shelter. This particular night was the coldest they'd ever experienced.

"Look over there, Knives, I think I see a cave."

"Okay, let's go." The two brothers made their way over to the cave Vash had seen and quickly went inside. The temperature inside wasn't really all that warm, but at least the cave would shield them from the chilly winds. They put their sleeping bags close together on the cave floor and each huddled inside his own, both of them overcome with shivering.

"Shit, this isn't working. I'm still freezing," Knives said before pulling the sleeping bag back up over his head.

Vash suddenly got an idea. "Why don't we try sharing a sleeping bag? You know, for body heat."

Knives unzipped his sleeping bag partially and allowed Vash to crawl inside with him. He had trouble trying to zip it up again, as it wasn't exactly designed to fit two lanky young teenage bodies.

"Wow, it's really cramped in here. We used to be able to share a sleeping bag when we had campouts in the recreation room."

"Yeah, well, we've grown quite a bit since then." The two of them fell into an awkward silence after that. Anytime one of them brought up the past they usually ended up arguing with each other, and neither one of them wanted to ruin the relatively peaceful time they were having in trying to help each other survive.

Being in such close quarters, however, made it difficult for either of them to avoid thoughts that were about more than just survival. Their raging teenage hormones were beginning to kick in, after all, and both had been feeling more than a little frustrated as of late. That was one probable cause of the viciousness and frequency of their fights lately, and if they didn't find a way to release the tension soon, they feared they may end up seriously hurting each other.

Vash had been lying on his side comfortably for a while, but suddenly he felt his right arm beginning to go numb. He tried to shift positions, but he wasn't quite sure what to do with his arms. He tried putting them around Knives, who raised an eyebrow at him. "My arm was falling asleep."

"I see." Now that their bodies were pressed even more closely together, Knives began to feel uncomfortable at the sudden tightness growing in the groin area of his spacesuit. The tension made him begin to sweat. "Umm, Vash? Don't you think it's maybe a little _too_ warm now?"

"What do you suggest we do, then?"

"Let's try this." Knives unzipped both his and Vash's sleeping bags all the way, spreading one of them out on the cave floor. "We can sleep on top of this one and use the other as a blanket."

"Wow, that's a good idea." Vash dove under the makeshift blanket and laid down next to Knives. He soon realized that he didn't feel nearly as warm as had when he'd had his arms around his brother. Vash snuggled closer to Knives, encircling him with his arms and throwing a leg over him.

"Vash, what are you doing?" Knives asked, his voice husky with his growing desire.

"It feels better like this. When I was just lying next to you, only my body felt warm, but when I'm like this, I feel like my heart is warm, too. And it feels really good."

"Well, it feels a bit _too_ good as far as I'm concerned."

"What do you mean?"

Knives took Vash's hand and placed it on the lump in his pants. "This."

"Oh." Vash thought deeply for a few moments. "Well, it's okay, isn't it?"

Knives looked surprised at Vash's response. He'd expected him to be disturbed at his arousal. "I don't know, do _you_ think it is?"

"I kinda feel the same thing, too," Vash said, emphasizing his point by pressing his body closer to Knives' and illustrating that he, too, was getting an erection. "I mean, if we both want to do something that only affects us, is it wrong for us to do it?"

Knives tried to get over the shock that he and Vash actually seemed to agree about something. He wrapped his arms around Vash. "Well, that's what I've been thinking. It's obvious that we've both been feeling tense, so it's only logical that we release it before it gets to be too much to handle." Knives leaned in closer like he was going to kiss Vash, but his brother stopped him as another thought occurred to him.

"Wait a minute. Didn't the books we read say incest was dangerous?"

Knives growled. He was getting more and more frustrated with each passing second. "I believe that only applies to members of the opposite sex when the possibility of producing an offspring exists. Since we can't reproduce together, there's nothing to worry about."

"Oh, okay. I guess it's all right, then. On the other hand—" Vash was cut off as Knives, fed up with Vash's indecisiveness, decided for him by planting his lips firmly on his brother's. They shared a rather sloppy first kiss and pulled away after several moments, panting heavily.

"What were you going to say, Vash?"

"Huh? Oh, I forgot."

"Good." Knives leaned forward and took his brother's lips again, being somewhat gentler than the first time. While Knives fumbled with Vash's clothes, Vash began lightly stroking Knives' erection through his spacesuit. Knives began moaning and was suddenly more interested in taking off his own clothes rather than Vash's. He nearly ripped his spacesuit in his desperation to get out of it, as he wanted so badly to feel his twin's sensuous touch on his bare skin. He moaned as Vash began to stroke him again. Knives was a bit confused as to why it felt so good. He had masturbated before, so why did the same action feel so much better when Vash was doing it to him? He gasped as he nearly went over the edge and removed Vash's hand. "I want you to try putting it in your mouth."

Vash gave him a weird look. "Is that how it works when two guys have sex?"

"It's not the only thing we can do. I found some books in Mary's room that had men having sex in them, and that's just one of the things they did."

"Okay, I'll try it." Vash lowered his head and took Knives' penis into his mouth. He stayed like that for several moments before lifting his head. "Uhh, what exactly am I supposed to do with it?"

"Suck it, lick it, bite it, I don't care. Just do something." Vash lowered his head again and began doing various things with his tongue. Knives gripped the sleeping bag below him as he gasped in pleasure.

Vash lifted up his head again. "Does it feel good?"

Knives nearly whimpered at the sudden loss of contact, but instead grunted and shoved Vash's head back down again. "Don't stop, you idiot!" Knives calmed down again as Vash continued his oral manipulation. "Try moving your head back and forth." Vash did as his brother asked and Knives began writhing in pleasure again, running his fingers through his hair as he bobbed up and down. Knives came rather quickly, catching Vash off guard and causing him to gag.

"A little warning would have been nice," Vash said, coughing out some semen.

"Sorry, I just got so caught up in it," Knives said, panting heavily.

Vash sat up. "So, how did it feel?"

Knives smirked and gave Vash a quick kiss. "Let me show you." His lips made their way down Vash's neck, then back up to his lips as his hands went to work finishing undressing Vash. He then trailed his tongue all the way down to Vash's penis, which he began licking up and down vigorously. He continued until he caused Vash to ejaculate, though Knives was actually prepared for it and was able to swallow without any problems. He crawled up to where he was lying on top of Vash. "So, did you like that?"

"Oh, yeah," Vash smiled and gazed at him with lust filled eyes. "What other kinds of things did you read about?"

"Well, we could have anal sex."

Vash's eyes widened to twice their normal size. "So are you gonna put what I think you're gonna put where I think you're gonna put it?" Knives nodded. "Doesn't that hurt?"

"How the hell would I know? I've never done this before, either. Come on, spread your legs. We can just try it, and if it hurts, we'll stop, okay?"

"Okay" Vash said hesitantly, placing his legs over the top of Knives' arms.

Knives carefully pushed himself into Vash, keeping his thrusts slow and shallow at first, but eventually increasing the speed and depth. "Does it hurt, Vash?" he asked breathlessly.

"No," Vash said with a small moan. "Actually, it feels pretty good." Vash closed his eyes. "And it doesn't just feel good physically, it feels like something's happening in my head."

"You feel that, too? I was wondering about the same thing. I didn't read about anything like this." As they continued, the feelings swirling in both of their minds increased. They got stronger and stronger until the two of them felt a sudden sense of unity, a moment in which they could feel both their own sensations as well as each other's. The two of them collapsed together. "Wow, that was really intense. It's like my mind had an orgasm, or something."

"Yeah..." A sly grin made its way onto Vash's face. "I want another one."

Knives grinned back. "Me, too."

The two of them continued their sexual experimentation until the cave filled with the light of morning. Both of them were quite happy about what had happened, and neither one questioned whether what they were doing was right or wrong. In fact, there were many times during the years that followed when their sexual relationship seemed to be the only thing that was right between them...

Vash snapped himself out of his thoughts and began talking to Meryl again. "We continued our relationship throughout the years we were traveling together, and, as I said before, it just started up again when he came to live here like nothing had changed." Vash folded his hands in his lap. "And nothing really had changed, until earlier today. Today was the first time Knives and I really opened up and seriously listened to each other. This is especially true for me, and I'm glad that I did. I put aside my belief that I could make Knives into what I wanted him to be and truly listened to what _he_ wanted. I realized that he _has_ changed for me, but since he hadn't changed into exactly what I wanted, I selfishly didn't even notice his efforts. Now that I have, I've decided that I can easily give him what he wants from me."

"And what exactly is that?"

"He wants me to move away from here with him and go live somewhere far away from humans."

Meryl looked down. "Oh..."

Vash put a hand on her shoulder. He knew it must have been hard on her to not only learn once and for all that they could never be together, but also that he was going to be leaving. "Listen, Meryl, I'll come visit you whenever I can, no matter where I end up, or wherever you go. I consider my friendships to be very important. In fact, they're second only to my love for Knives."

Meryl began to feel overwhelmed again. She nodded as her eyes filled with tears. "I understand."

Vash noticed the tears and pulled her into a hug. "I know this is tough. I just hope you can accept me for what I really am."

Meryl sniffled into Vash's chest. "I do, Vash. Even if it's…shocking to a regular person, I know you have to do what you feel is right. It's just...a lot to take in."

"Is there anything I can do to make this easier?"

"Just...let me stay like this for a while."

Vash nodded and pulled her a bit closer. She stayed in his arms and cried softly for a while. Once her tears died down, she lifted her head and smiled sadly at him. "I think I'm okay now."

Vash smiled softly. "Good. I'm going back to my room so Knives and I can begin packing up our stuff." Vash gave her a final pat on the shoulder and left the room.

Meryl sat back on the couch with a heavy sigh. This whole situation still seemed a bit surreal to her, but she knew she had to learn to accept it as the truth. Yes, she had feelings for him, but he had to do what was best for the one _he_ loved the most.

The next day, Meryl found herself saying goodbye to the man she'd grown accustomed to and his intimidating brother. Vash assured her and Milly that he'd come to visit them, and Meryl found herself worrying that this would be one of those empty promises when people say they'll keep in touch, but then end up never seeing each other again. As Vash began to disappear from sight into the distance, Meryl shook her head. No, this was Vash. He wasn't one to make empty promises. He was honest and loyal and had a good heart. Tears began slipping down her cheeks again. It was these things that had caused her to fall for him against her will. She thought of the happy look on his face as he'd left the house with his brother and found a smile creeping onto her own lips. He was happy with his life, so she had to find happiness in her own. Life goes on, after all.

"Ahh, I feel better already just getting out of that place," Knives said as he and Vash began their trek through the desert.

Vash smiled at him. "I'm glad you're happy, Knives. I just hope that the girls understand why we needed to do this. I told Meryl everything, and I'm not sure how much of it she repeated to Milly, but in any case it's something very unusual for them to have to deal with on their own. I hope they're okay..."

"Vash," Knives said, grabbing Vash's shoulders. "I know you're concerned for your little friends, but what's most important right now is concentrating on finding a home for ourselves. If you really must worry about them, do it later."

"Okay, I'm sorry." Vash put an arm around Knives. "Let's go."

Knives smiled and the two began walking again. Knives found himself feeling quite excited at the prospect of this new journey they were setting out on together. He was glad that he was going to have the chance to be with Vash and only Vash again. He could only hope that their new arrangement would work out for the better. Though he was quite confident that they were doing what was best for both of them, he wasn't 100% sure. He couldn't see the future, after all.

~The ticket to the future is always blank,~ a familiar voice from the past echoed in his head.

Knives smirked. _Still haunting me after all these years, eh? Damn that woman_.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Knives, I'm home!" Vash shouted cheerfully as he walked through the door.

Knives poked his head out from the kitchen. "About time. I was just making some food. I didn't make any for you, though. I assumed you'd abandoned me to go live with your humans."

Vash rolled his eyes. "Kniiives, just because I'm a bit late doesn't mean I've left you! Meryl and Milly went back to work at Bernardelli, which is quite a bit farther away from here than the village they lived in before. Stop being so paranoid and jealous."

"Why shouldn't I be?" Knives walked over and sniffed at him. "Especially when you come home reeking with the stench of humanity. Were you hugging those girls again?" Knives playfully pinned Vash against the wall.

Vash batted his eyelashes at Knives. "So what if I was? What are you gonna do about it?" Vash challenged with a sultry smile.

Knives gave Vash a burning kiss. "Well, first I'll have to cleanse your body to get rid of your human stink. Then I'll have to teach you a lesson by taking you in various locations around the house." Knives nipped at Vash's neck.

"Mmm, bring it on, you jealous, paranoid, psycho son of a bitch," Vash purred.

Some time later, the two of them found themselves resting naked in bed together, limbs lazily draped over each other. Vash lifted his head to look Knives in the eye. "So, now that we've been living like this for a few months, are you really happy with the way things are?"

"Yes," Knives gently stroked Vash's hair. "I mean, of course I would rather have you all to myself instead of letting you leave me here alone to go visit your humans, but at least you're with me most of the time."

"You know, you could always come along, if you want." The death glare Vash received in return caused him to sweatdrop. "Okay, okay, just checking. I was just seeing if you've changed your mind at all."

"I never will, Vash. Just like you'll never change your mind about needing to go see your little friends, I'll never change my mind about _not_ seeing them, or any other humans."

"Well, if you not having to see them keeps you from killing them, I can live with that."

"And if letting you visit them keeps you from bitching about not being able to visit them, then I can definitely live with that."

Vash wrapped his arms around Knives. "So this really is working?"

"Of course it is. It was my idea, after all."

Vash rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, but it took teamwork on both of our parts to make it work."

"Yeah, _my_ teamwork." Knives suddenly found himself being whomped on the head by a pillow. He narrowed his eyes at the sinister-looking Vash grinning at him from above. He calmly reached behind his head and whacked Vash with his own pillow. This of course led to a huge pillow fight that ended with feathers fluttering around the room and two exhausted Plants collapsed on the bed. Knives rolled over so he was lying on top of Vash. "I love you, Vash."

Vash smiled. "I love you, too, Knives." He kissed Knives gently on the lips and snuggled closer to him so the two could enjoy just being together in peace and quiet.

They had finally found happiness. Of course, there were still many glaring differences between them that occasionally led to serious problems, but at least they had reached the point where they were able to laugh and joke about each other's quirks instead of arguing about them constantly. They had learned to put their love for each other above all else, for only in each other were the two beings that sprang from one able to truly be fulfilled. All they had needed was a little compromise.

THE END

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Spazz: Nya ha ha, I've done it! I've finished the fic! Hooray! And it took me less than a year to do it, which is, sadly, the shortest time in which I've ever completed a fic.

Knives: Yes, "hooray" for that, but I'm more interested in the fact that you turned out to be a complete sap! What's with this happy ending crap? Where're the explosions? The blood? The genocide of the human race?

Spazz: Oh, shoosh. I may be someone who likes surprise tragic endings in the forms of entertainment I consume, but when I write my own stories, I want the characters I like to be happy. Speaking of which, I know there must have been some people reading this fic who were hoping for Meryl to be crushed and devastated, but I don't hate her, so I couldn't be mean ^_^;; If you want a fic where I mercilessly bash the clueless female admirer at every possible opportunity, read my Gundam Wing fic "Forever Love." My "love" for Relena reeeally shines through in that fic.

Knives: Yeah, love of bashing with a metal pipe.

Spazz: Bwa ha ha...*ahem* Anyway, another thing about Meryl is that when the idea for this fic first began bubbling in my head way back in the summer of 2001, Meryl was actually going to be the sympathetic character. I started out as a VashxMeryl fan at the beginning of my Trigun fandom, but within a few months I started getting into twincest, as well. The plan for this fic was basically the same, except that when Meryl found out what was going on, Vash was going to realize how much he really loved Meryl and decide to hook up with her!

Knives: Horror of horrors!

Spazz: Yeah, I know. So now I bet some of you are actually thankful for the procrastination in starting this fic that allowed for Knikni-sama to become Mr. Sympathetic Character. I know I am. If I'd ended up doing my original idea, I'd probably had to have learned how to write heterosexual love scenes.

Knives: Horror of horrors!

Spazz: Is that all you can say now?

Knives: Yes.

Spazz: *Sigh* Anyway, I don't think I originally planned to have _any_ graphic love scenes , yet somehow I ended up with six of them.

Knives: That's because you're a pervert.

Spazz: *Sigh* What did I do to deserve this?

Knives: You wrote me into your fic.

Spazz: *Ahem* Anyway, other fun facts: this fic is officially my longest one (out of three :P) by a couple thousand words. I didn't quite reach the 40,000 word level, which, when playing around with the website's word count thingy, less than 20 out of 1077 Trigun fics posted here have done (and there are only 4 over 100,000). This can't be! I am a super elite! Speaking of that, I shall now inform you of my plans for future fics.

Knives: Oh "joy."

Spazz: I have plans for another Trigun twincest fic, the next one being a comedy. It might end up coming after another fic, though, because, as fandom goes, I've recently become reobsessed with Dragon Ball, and therefore I may finally write the DBZ fic that's been sitting in my head for several years.

Vegeta: *Appears* Oh, great. Now _I'm_ going to have to put up with this pathetic human woman, too? Why can't she just leave me alone and torture some other character?

Spazz: *Squeals* Because you're such a cutey patooty.

Knives: Don't be fooled by the innocent act! Read this fic and you'll see what kind of stuff she writes about.

Vegeta: *Reads* o_O Are you planning on writing a fic about me and Kakarrot?!

Spazz: No, don't worry. I'm not that into DBZ yaoi.

Vegeta: Oh, good, *cough* not that I would ever think of something like *cough*

Spazz: The Saiyan doth protest too much, me thinks.

Vegeta: Gah, I don't need to waste my time with such an inferior race.

Knives: Yeah, why has a superior being such as myself put up with this kind of nonsense for so long, anyway?

Vegeta: Yes, well I, being _super_ superior, should especially not have to put up with this.

Knives: And I, being super _dupe_ r superior, will also not stand for it.

Vegeta: Well, when someone like me, who is super duper superior _infinite_ —

Knives: And I, as a super duper superior infinite _plus one_ —

Spazz: Umm, guys?

Knikni & Vegepoo: WHAT?!

Spazz: The fic's been over for, like, two pages now, so could you please end your argument so I can wrap it up?

Knives: You know, she's right. Who cares who's more superior...

Vegeta: ...when we're both superior to her. *Evil grins*

Spazz: Umm, as I am currently being approached by two scary, angry, sexy men, let me end by saying that I plan on doing an MST of this fic, so watch my woefully incomplete website for the latest developments. Thanks for reading! Bai bai!

Knives: And don't forget, when life hands you lemons, you blast those lemons to bits with your laser cannons! Or Angel Arms...*Powers up*

Spazz: Eep.

*Explosion*


End file.
